First Time Ordering Pu-erh Tea

[withoutink]

Quick backstory...

Married. Wife Cant have kids. We decided to adopt. End up adopting a special needs boy from China. Find out our son is from Kunming, Yunnan birthplace of Pu-erh. Go to China for three weeks. Forget to buy the stuff when we were right there.... facepalm.

Fast forward 3 or so years...

Son is turning 5 years old this April. He knows he is adopted. He loves learning about China. We embrace his chinese culture and our backgrounds as well. Super smart kid. He loves non traditional foods & drinks. One night the wife and I talk about tea.

Bada Bing! We remember Yunnan = Pu-erh.

So, tonight I ordered the following from Steve at JAS-eTea:

1 x 2008 Menghai V93 Premium Ripe Pu-erh tea - 100 gram tuo
1 x Raw Pu-erh Sampler
1 x 2009 Menghai "Da Yi Gong Tuo" Ripe Pu-erh tea - 100g
1 x Simple Pu-erh Pick
1 x 2011 Spring Imperial Yunnan Fengqing Golden Buds Black Tea - 50g
1 x Traditional Dragon & Phoenix Tea Set - 1 Gaiwan, 1 Pitcher and 2 Cups

The plan is, on his birthday we will initiate a new tradition in our lives. We will teach Little G (my sons nickname) about Kunming, Yunnan and this delicious elixer called Pu-erh. Which is from his home town.

Any recommendations for the Pu-erh journey we are about to embark on?

Anyway, just wanted to share the story. As an aside, we only have tried Pu-erh twice when we were in China a few years back. Don't remember much about it, but we figure. It is an important part of life in his home town. So shall it be in our home.

 

[bhorn]

I wish I could tell you more about Pu-erh but I would be very interested in hearing what you find out about it. My mother lived in Kunming (then called Yunnanfu) starting when she was seven (the daughter of a British postmaster in the Chinese postal service) and I have always been interested in learning more about that area. I did not know it was the home of Pu-erh.

 

[netsurfr]

As an initial starting point, you can read more about pu-erh on my site. There is a drop down tab at the top of the page that says "About Pu-erh." You will find a number of articles there.
Cheers,
Steve

 

[ouch]

I think that's terrific.

 

[withoutink]

Thanks =)

 

[_JP_]

A person should embrace their heritage and be able to share. This is a nice way to do so.

 

[StillShaving]

Great Story. I would only say consider introducing many different types of tea, as that general area is supposedly where Tea originated.

 

[withoutink]

great points, and thanks for the comments. If this kid had his way, he would drink Chai all day long.

As a side note, when we adopted him. We bought many gifts for him, one for each birthday until he is 21. So, he gets something special from his home town. The last gift is a $700 jadeite Necklace of a Pixiu. Which is kinda like a winged lion...

 

[netsurfr]

Wow! That sounds very special. Would love to see a pic.

great points, and thanks for the comments. If this kid had his way, he would drink Chai all day long.

As a side note, when we adopted him. We bought many gifts for him, one for each birthday until he is 21. So, he gets something special from his home town. The last gift is a $700 jadeite Necklace of a Pixiu. Which is kinda like a winged lion...

 

[withoutink]

Hi Steve,

Here are a couple pics of it.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3266/2740853215_cd72e0770a.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3001/2740853761_c54f47f2ff.jpg

 

[netsurfr]

Wow, that is extremely special!

Hi Steve,

Here are a couple pics of it.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3266/2740853215_cd72e0770a.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3001/2740853761_c54f47f2ff.jpg

 

[TOB9595]

You're Son is as lucky to have you both as you are to have him, in your lives.
Well done.
I'm a LAPSONG SOOCHONG guy but am interested in Pu-er...
Tom

 

[withoutink]

Thank you both. Indeed all of us were destined to be. Family.

 

[Doc4]

Great stuff.

I just recently started down the pu-erh road myself. The next step will be to start drinking ... and see if you like shu or sheng better ... you can expand your tea collection exponentially or keep it simple ... you can go down the road of yixing pots ... so much to explore!!

 

[Toddy]

Tea goes stale quickly. Always buy fresh and use till gone. Anything left after 2 months of opening or after best before date, throw away.

 

[withoutink]

Thanks Doc4

 

[withoutink]

So I received the package today from Steve... Had to break it open right away!

Anyway, I cleaned the cups, gaiwan and fairness pitcher. Then took some 2007 raw pu-erh and ran it though it's paces.... The tea was interesting... Earthy, slightly sweet and had an interesting feel to it... I'm very bad at describing things like tea. Hopefully, that changes too.... But I know it's like art, what it is to one, it may not be to another.

The thing I will need to practice is pouring. I spilled all over the place! Now I see why they have those tea / water / trays.... It's slightly messy

I ran probably 4-5 infusions through the 2007 pu. Highly enjoyable, I will have to work out times a bit better I think I may try 20 seconds for a deeper flavor.

I also checked out a few videos on YouTube today on gongfu cha. It was very nice watching the full ceremony... I think it will be important to show and explain that all to little g... Down the road.

Anyway, enjoy the evening

 

[Proinsias]

Sounds like it's all going well. Might be worth picking up some Yunann green tea, I'm sure Steve will have some, I've found kids respond far more favourably to green tea than pu'er. The lower temperatures which bring out the best in green teas are also more child friendly than the boiling water most pu'er demands.

Tea goes stale quickly. Always buy fresh and use till gone. Anything left after 2 months of opening or after best before date, throw away.

Each to their own but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one of the opinion that some teas improve with age. If everyone binned their pu'er after two months the world would be a sadder place.

 

[netsurfr]

Tea goes stale quickly. Always buy fresh and use till gone. Anything left after 2 months of opening or after best before date, throw away.

That is a somewhat accurate statement for green and white teas with rather light oxidation. These teas are good for about 12-18 months after harvest. The biggest problem is that you don't always know when your tea was harvested. That is why we always give you a date or season of harvest for our teas. However, for oolongs, the answer is, it depends. For the lighter roast and more lightly oxidized oolongs, they have a shelf life similar to green and white teas. However, for the heavier roast oolong teas, many people enjoy oolong that is 10 years or more old. Now, pu-erh is a completely different story. The best pu-erh (if you can find it AND if you can afford it) is decades old. It ages well and continues to develop increasingly complex character. Sampling your pu-erh from year to year and noting the changes can be very interesting.

Cheers,
Steve
www.JAS-eTea.com

 

[ouch]

I'm a LAPSONG SOOCHONG guy

That's because you're from Jersey. It reminds you of Elizabeth.