In some parts of China, a popular custom is to give oranges as a gift on special occasions. The reason is that in Chinese, the word for orange sounds like “Ji” which means “good luck.” One of the things you’ll notice about this tea when you brew it is the absence of the heavy musty flavor characteristic of traditional pu-erh. Certainly this character is still there but it is layered beneath sweet notes of citrus, the result of being packed in the orange before fermentation. As the tea ages it absorbs the flavor of the peel.
Black pu-erh can be pinpointed directly to the Kunming Tea Factory in the year 1972. In that year, the government of China, seeking to broaden its economic base, mandated that the Kunming factory develop a new, delicious tea that could be widely marketed. Drawing on centuries of experience, the tea masters of Kunming determined that a black pu-erh was the ticket.
Black pu-erh undergoes a fermentation process in which the tea is processed and stored for a set period of time without being dried completely. The tea is usually either buried in the ground, stored in caves or under damp heavy tarps. Fermenting over time imparts the earthy character typical of most pu-erh teas.
Ingredients: Black pu-erh, natural dried mandarin orange peel
Origin: Fujian Province, China
Preparation:
1 teaspoon per 8 ounces 190°F pure water; brew 4 minutes.
Traditional Chinese brewing method:
Break off enough tea for one cup, (about one gram) • 1st brew 30 seconds • 2nd brew 40 seconds • 3rd brew 40 seconds • 4th brew 60 seconds • 5th brew 90 seconds • 6th 120 seconds. With each subsequent brewing, note how the character of this wonderful green pu-erh subtly shifts in terms of strength and flavor.
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