It's All About Tea

Breaking up pu-erh a cake is easy once you know how. Pu-erh tea is fermented and tightly compressed, therefor we need some skill to pry it loose. Furthermore, we can't simply do it with our hands. To break off a piece of pu-erh we must use a special pu-erh tea needle and carefully wiggle it loose. (Read more)

In China and parts of Southeast Asia Pu-erh tea has been consumed for centuries. It was a significant export product on the Tea-Horse Road, but even back in its homeland of Yunnan people did not dismiss the amazing Pu-erh tea benefits.

While in Tibet this tea was popular with monks for its amazing energizing qualities, in China people would always drink it after a meal, especially an oily one, to aid with digestion. (Read more)

Let's take an in-depth look at matcha vs. green tea. Yes, technically matcha is stone-ground powdered green tea. But we cannot take the green tea leaves we have sitting in our cupboard and grind those up. Matcha tea processing is a complex tradition that is hundreds, even thousands, years old. The amount of people who know how to process matcha vs. those who process other types of green tea is quite limited. Even the tea leaves used for preparing the powder require special growth conditions. So let's discuss what makes both matcha powder and Japanese green tea so unique in their own way.  (Read more)

Hojicha is a Japanese roasted green tea. It is one of the most popular teas in Japan. Thanks to Hojicha caffeine content being quite low, it's a popular beverage to consume after dinner and even kids love it! Hojicha tea has a pleasant, sweet roasted aroma similar to candied nuts or chestnuts, which makes it a favorite amongst people of all ages. (Read more)

Liu Bao is a tea of history. It is one of the oldest styles of tea preparation that is still preserved and drank to this day. It is believed that the processing methods of Liu Bao served as the base for modern-day Ripe Pu erh preparation. In fact, the two teas go through very similar processing partially because they are both part of the Hei Cha tea category. (Read more)