It's All About Tea — pu-erh
Liu Bao with Tiffany. Interview with an expert on Hei Cha
Posted by Misha Gulko on
A Journey Through Flavors: Tea Tasting Experience at a Shenzhen Tea Market
Posted by Boyka Mihaylova on
While visiting the 22-million megapolis of Shenzhen, we couldn’t miss the chance to do a tea tasting at one of the local tea markets. We picked the Nanshan area. Bordering the city’s business district and the High-tech park, it has the lively, just a bit worn-out atmosphere of a decades-old neighborhood, where modernity meets tradition and the authenticity of everyday people’s lives. (Read More)
Raw Pu-erh Tea vs Green Tea: Unveiling Differences
Posted by Boyka Mihaylova on
Diving into the world of tea unveils a vast spectrum of experiences, flavors, and knowledge, each variety holding its unique story and essence. In this article, we'll compare Raw Pu-erh tea (or Sheng Pu-erh) with Green tea. These teas, each revered in its own right, originate from the same plant but diverge vastly in their journey from leaf to cup, offering different narratives of taste, aroma, and experience.
At first glance, both teas might seem very alike. They use similar processing; ongoing discussions in the tea world question whether Raw Pu-erh tea belongs to the Green tea category; even Chinese farmers, when translating to English, sometimes write "pressed Greed tea" on Pu-erh tea cakes. However, Raw Pu-erh tea and Green tea remain two distinct tea types.
We'll get to know the distinguishing features of these teas, exploring their regional origins, the raw materials used, the unique processing stages they undergo, their oxidation levels, and their transformation over time. We will also delve into their contrasting tasting parameters, including color, aroma, taste, brewing resistance, and varied tea leaf shapes. Let's explore the differences that set them apart, each in their own category. (Read More)
Laos Tea: Ancient Forests and Wild Trees
Posted by Boyka Mihaylova on
In this blog post, we continue our exploration of non-native Chinese teas produced in Asia.
Our destination is Laos - a country on the crossroad between China (more specifically, Yunnan), Vietnam, and Burma, among others. Nestled in the area known as the cradle of tea origin, Laos is a country with ancient tea heritage, pristine forests, and age-old tea trees. Let's explore its merits and discover the Laos tea that increasingly draws the interest of tea drinkers by the year. (Read More)
Vietnamese Tea: Sheng Pu-erh made in Vietnam
Posted by Boyka Mihaylova on
We continue our subject on Chinese teas produced in Asia, with Vietnamese tea, specifically Pu-erh tea produced in Vietnam.
We know Pu-erh tea is a type of Chinese fermented tea originating from the Yunnan province. Yunnan has a millennium-long history with tea, which has exerted a profound influence on China's neighboring countries, Vietnam in particular. Not to mention, the geographical and administrative boundaries in the region were not the same as they are today. So, let's explore the culture and legacy of Vietnamese tea, with a focus on Vietnamese Pu-erh tea. (Read More)