{"product_id":"dragon-pearls-mengku-ripe-pu-erh","title":"\"Dragon Pearls\" Mengku GuShu Ripe Pu-erh","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSifu Lao Cha brewed a dark pearl for a novice, tired from many hours of meditation.\u003cbr\u003e– What do you feel? Lao Cha asked after a few cups.\u003cbr\u003e– I feel wide awake, Sifu! Full of energy, but at the same time calm and present! – the young monk exclaimed. – I’m ready to sit in meditation for some more!\u003cbr\u003e– Good. That is what clean tea does.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a Shou Pu-erh from Mengku Town in Lincang. The leaf comes from trees of the Mengku Da Ye Zhong varietal that are over a hundred years old, growing in clean, high-altitude terroir. The tea is hand-rolled into dragon balls (龙珠 – Long Zhu). One pearl – one session, no scale needed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea takes its time opening up. Old-tree leaf is dense, and dragon balls are tightly rolled, so the first steep or two will be light. Give it a good, long rinse and continue with longer infusions. By the third or fourth steep, cherry and honey in the aroma will intensify, and the body will get thicker and smoother. The cherry is the signature note here, but it doesn’t take over.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou will be pleasantly surprised by the cleanness of this shou. No pile taste, no muddiness. Just smooth, sweet, mellow Shou from the first rinse to the last steep. And it’s hard not to notice the Cha Qi (茶气). This is not a tea that makes you drowsy. A calm, clear, wide-awake energy builds through the session and stays with you after the pot is empty. You feel present and alert, but without any of the jittery edge that caffeine gives. It is the kind of energy that makes you want to sit longer, read something, think about something, or just pay attention to what is already in front of you.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Place of Origin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mengku Town, Shuangjiang County, Lincang City, Yunnan, China\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Altitude:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1750m\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Harvest Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 6, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Pressing Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 28, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Picking Standard:\u003c\/strong\u003e one bud and two leaves\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Aroma:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cherry, honey, warm wood\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Taste:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sweet and mellow, with light cherry notes\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Tea Tree:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mengku Da Ye Zhong cultivar (勐库大叶种)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrewing guidelines:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/thermometer_32x32.png?v=1613590565\" alt=\"Water temperature\" style=\"margin-right: 18px; margin-bottom: 00px; margin-left: 18px; float: none;\"\u003e212℉ \/ 100℃\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cimg style=\"margin-bottom: 00px; float: none;\" alt=\"Tea-to-Water Ratio for Western Brewing\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/Western-Teapot_45649ad9-ec24-45d3-907f-2a0efe273c28_50x50.png?v=1616729997\"\u003e1 g per 70-100 ml\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/clock_32x32.png?v=1613590565\" alt=\"Brewing Time\" style=\"margin-right: 7px; margin-bottom: 00px; margin-left: 7px; float: none;\"\u003e3-5 min\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cimg alt=\"Tea-to-Water Ratio. Gong Fu Cha\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/Gaiwan_Yixing_0f85d4d2-7572-4ccc-8863-e496a3933739_32x32.png?v=1616730143\" style=\"margin: 10px 7px 00px 11px; float: none;\"\u003e1 g per 20 ml \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/clock_32x32.png?v=1613590565\" alt=\"Brewing Time\" style=\"margin-right: 7px; margin-bottom: 00px; margin-left: 7px; float: none;\"\u003e Discard the first two flash steepings. Then, 10 sec + 5 sec for each subsequent infusion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Liang Shi Zhuang","offers":[{"title":"14 pearls (~100g; $0.31 per gram)","offer_id":42340668702775,"sku":"DRAGON PEARLS SHOU PU-ERH_3","price":31.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"7 pearls (~50g; $0.36 per gram)","offer_id":42340668735543,"sku":"DRAGON PEARLS SHOU PU-ERH_2","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4 pearls (~28g; $0.43 per gram)","offer_id":42340668768311,"sku":"DRAGON PEARLS SHOU PU-ERH_1","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/Dragon_Pearls_Mengku_Ripe_Pu-erh_GUL_1636_low_res.jpg?v=1785373299","url":"https:\/\/pathofcha.com\/products\/dragon-pearls-mengku-ripe-pu-erh","provider":"Path of Cha","version":"1.0","type":"link"}