Giang Pang GuShu Raw Pu-erh Tea Cake (200g, Vietnam 🇻🇳)

In the mountain quiet, thầy Lao Cha brewed pu-erh and let the tea sit for a moment before drinking. The aroma immediately spread in the air – dark fruit, dried plum – very lively.

His young disciple took a sip. The tea was thick. First came dried plums, then apricot, then a returning sweetness that stayed long after the swallow and made his mouth water.

He looked at his teacher and said only: – “This tea arrives slowly.”

Lao Cha nodded. – “That is why it stays.”

They drank the rest of the session in silence. The tea did not need help explaining itself. It moved from tartness into fruit, from fruit into sweetness and gentle smokiness, and left behind that clean, lingering feeling that good mountain tea sometimes carries so naturally.

This Vietnamese raw pu-erh comes from the H’Mông area of Giàng Pằng in Yên Bái Province in northern Vietnam. It’s a beautiful place. Getting there means making your way up a rough mountain road, crossing streams and rocky stretches before reaching the village.

The tea is made from a mix of medium, old, and ancient tree material from Lềnh’s family gardens, with roughly 70% of the leaf coming from ancient trees. The picking standard is one bud with two to three leaves.

In the dry leaf and in the aroma rising from the cup, the tea leans toward dried plums, with a darker fruit character than brighter, higher-toned young shengs. In the mouth, it’s sweet and with just a hint of tartness in a way that keeps the liquor lively. Alongside the dried plum notes, there are also notes of dried apricots and stone fruits.

The mouthfeel is thick and mouthwatering. Bitterness and astringency stay in the low throughout multiple steepings. What really stays with you, though, is the finish: long, sweet, and fruity, arriving gradually and lingering well after the sip is gone.

In this Vietnamese sheng, you will find depth, freshness, and old-tree character, all held together in a tea that feels grounded and very alive.