Pu 'er tea is made from Yunnan big leaf sun-cured green tea and sub-fermented green tea. According to the different fermentation, Pu 'er tea can be divided into raw tea and cooked tea, and the finished product can be divided into loose tea and pressed tea.
Pu 'er tea pays attention to brewing skills and art of drinking, and it has a variety of drinking methods, which can be both clear and mixed. Pu 'er tea soup is orange-yellow, with high and lasting aroma, unique fragrance type, rich taste and lasting foam resistance, and it still has fragrance after five or six times of brewing.
Pu 'er tea is mainly produced in Xishuangbanna, Lincang and Pu 'er in Yunnan Province. The area is full of rain all the year round, full of clouds, deep soil layer, fertile land and no pollution.
production process
Fresh leaf picking
The collection of Pu 'er tea leaves can be carried out from the end of February to the middle of June, and the large-leaf tea trees planted in Sipu area can send 5-6 rounds a year, with a growth period of more than 300 days. Due to the local climate characteristics in Yunnan. According to the traditional classification method, picking tea from Qingming to Grain Rain is called "Spring Shoot", picking tea from awn seeds to big trees is called "Ershui", and picking tea from Bailu to first frost is called "Guhua". Generally speaking, the quality of tea in "Chunjian" and "Gu Hua" periods is the best. [7]
When picking tea, leaves and buds are picked at the same time. Generally, the third and opposite leaves with the same tenderness are picked from the tips of tea branches: one leaf and one bud, two leaves and one bud, and three leaves and one bud, so as to leave leaves reasonably. When grading, there are more buds with high grades and more stems with low grades. Pick it by hand; Mechanical harvesting should ensure the quality of fresh leaves, ensure harmlessness and prevent pollution.
Fresh leaf grading index
Super grade: one bud and one leaf account for more than 70%, and one bud and two leaves account for less than 30%.
Grade I: one bud and two leaves account for more than 70%, and other buds and leaves with the same tenderness account for less than 30%.
Grade II: One bud with two leaves or three leaves accounts for more than 60%, and other buds with the same tenderness account for less than 40%.
Grade three: one bud with two leaves or three leaves accounts for more than 50%, and other buds with the same tenderness account for less than 50%.
Grade 4: one bud with three leaves or four leaves accounts for more than 70%, and other buds with the same tenderness account for less than 30%.
Grade five: one bud with three leaves or four leaves accounts for more than 50%, and other buds with the same tenderness account for less than 50%.
Raw material processing
Spreading fresh leaves: spreading fresh leaves in stages until the water content is about 70%, and deactivating enzymes.
Fixing: Fixing should be thorough and even, without the smell of grass and smoke. Water-retaining leaves are twisted into strips in time.
Kneading: the kneading pressure should not be too heavy, and the time is 30 minutes to 40 minutes.
Dredge: Dissolve caked tea leaves.
Sunlight drying: it must be dried in the sun, and it can be kneaded again to make the tea strips tightly knotted. The water content of sun-cured green tea is ≤ 10%.
Finished tea processing
Pu 'er tea (raw tea)
Pu 'er tea raw tea
1. Purification of sun-cured green tea: screening and blending of sun-cured green tea.
2. Screening: Through screening, winnowing and classification, the classification requirements are met.
3. Blending: Make reasonable blending according to the quality requirements of Pu 'er tea to be produced.
4. Autoclave molding: steam dry tea leaves and press them in different molds. The extraction of aroma makes pectin in tea overflow the epidermis, which is beneficial to press molding and has a unique aroma different from loose tea. Before autoclaving, the water content of each batch of prefabricated tea should be determined and the weight of tea should be calculated.
5. Drying: the drying temperature is ≤60℃ until the water content of tea leaves is ≤ 13%.
Pu 'er tea (cooked tea) loose tea
Fermentation after sun-drying green tea: reasonably determine the proportion of tea according to the tea grade and climatic conditions, and ferment after sun-drying green tea. During the fermentation process, the pile should be turned over and unblocked in time, and the pile temperature should be controlled below 65℃.
Stacking fermentation: Wet tea leaves are stacked together according to a certain thickness, and the unique flavor and quality of Pu 'er tea are formed under the joint action of microorganisms, damp heat and oxidation.
Drying: naturally drying the fermented tea until the water content is less than or equal to12%.
Refining: screening and blending fermented tea.
Screening: Through screening, winnowing and classification, the classification requirements are achieved.
Blending: Make reasonable blending according to the quality requirements of Pu 'er tea to be produced.
Pu 'er tea (cooked tea) pressed tea
Autoclave molding: the sun-dried tea leaves are steamed with steam and pressed in different molds. The extraction of aroma makes pectin in tea overflow the epidermis, which is beneficial to press molding and has a unique aroma different from loose tea. Before autoclaving, the water content of each batch of prefabricated tea should be determined and the weight of tea should be calculated.
Drying: the drying temperature is ≤60℃ until the water content of tea leaves is ≤ 12.5%.
Tea tasting guide
Brewing method
Tea dosage:
Cooked tea soup color
When brewing Pu 'er tea, the amount of tea is closely related to drinking habits, brewing methods and tea personality, which is full of changes. As far as Yunnan people's tea drinking habits are concerned, the ratio of tea consumption to water quality is generally 1:40 or 1:45 when the root-retaining bubble method is adopted. If the "Kung Fu" soaking method is adopted, the amount of tea can be appropriately increased, and the concentration of tea soup can be adjusted by controlling the brewing rhythm. As far as the nature of tea is concerned, the amount of tea is also changing. For example, cooked tea and aged tea can be appropriately increased, while raw tea and new tea can be appropriately reduced.
Brewing Pu 'er tea: Pu 'er tea needs to be brewed with hot water first, which is called "tea washing". The concept of "washing tea" appeared in the Ming Dynasty. In the Book of Tea (Ming Dynasty), it was recorded that "whenever you make tea, you should first wash the tea with hot soup to remove its dirt and air conditioning, and it will be beautiful when cooked." For Pu 'er tea, the process of "washing tea" is essential. Because most Pu 'er tea is drunk every other year, or even a few years later. Pay attention to the rhythm when "washing tea", put an end to "washing tea" for many times or "washing tea" at high temperature for a long time, and reduce the loss of tea fragrance. Pu 'er tea should be brewed in a pot with a big belly, because the concentration of Pu 'er tea is high, and the pot with a big belly can avoid the tea soup from being too strong. The materials should be clay pots and teapots. After the second time, you can decide the choice of shading according to your personal preference. Pu 'er tea can also be a cold drink.
Tea water temperature: The mastery of water temperature plays an important role in the display of tea characters. High temperature is beneficial to the dispersion of aroma and the rapid leaching of tea aroma. However, high temperature is also easy to rush out bitter taste and burn some high-grade tea. The water temperature varies with tea. For example, brick tea, compact tea and aged tea with coarse raw materials are suitable for boiling water brewing; The tender high-grade bud tea (such as the newer Palace Pu 'er) and high-grade green cake are suitable for proper cooling and brewing. Don't burn delicate tea leaves into "vegetable tea" at high temperature. When brewing some high-grade fresh green tea, in addition to direct cooling, the water temperature can be lowered without adding a pot cover or boiling water to avoid "water suffocation" caused by boiling tea.
Brewing time: The purpose of controlling brewing time is to fully and accurately show the aroma and taste of tea. Due to the particularity of Yunnan Pu 'er tea production technology and raw material selection, the brewing method and time were determined. The brewing time of old tea and coarse tea is long, while the brewing time of new tea and delicate tea is short; The brewing time of hand-shaking tea is long, while that of machine-shaking tea is short; The brewing time of pressed tea is long, and the brewing time of loose tea is short. [ 1 1]
Wandering cup brewing method: Wandering cup consists of outer cup, inner cup and cup cover. The outer cup is made of glass, and the inner cup is a small high-temperature plastic cup with a valve. The inner cup has a filter screen and a valve switch. Only by opening the valve, the tea soup in the inner cup will flow from the lower part of the inner cup through the filter screen to the outer cup.
Pry tea: pry a proper amount (5- 10g) of Pu 'er tea from various pressed Pu 'er tea (cakes, bricks, lumps, etc.). ) use a tea knife;
Tea throwing: throw the pried tea into the inner cup;
Brewing preparation: put the inner cup filled with tea leaves into the outer cup;
The first bubble: pour boiling water into the cup. Because the valve is closed, the tea soup can only soak the tea in the inner cup. This first bubble is also called tea washing, just like the kung fu bubble method.
Open the valve: press the switch quickly, open the valve of the inner cup and let the tea soup flow to the outer cup;
Wash the cup: first wash the outer cup with tea soup and then pour it out, which will help improve the mellow taste of Pu 'er tea;
The second bubble: rush into boiling water again to make tea. This bubble can be drunk at first;
Soup: press the switch to open the valve of the inner cup, and the tea soup can flow to the outer cup. If the amount of soup is not enough, you can brew it again and row the soup many times; [ 12]
Drinking skills
Pu 'er tea can be used as both green tea and mixed drink. Clear drinking refers to brewing without any auxiliary materials, which is more common in Han nationality; Mixed drinking refers to adding auxiliary materials to tea, which is common in Hongkong and Taiwan Province Province. For example, in Hong Kong, health foods such as chrysanthemum, medlar and American ginseng are added to Pu 'er tea.
When drinking Pu 'er tea, you must smell the fragrance while it is hot. Before raising a glass, you can feel the fragrance of the old taste gushing from the nose like spring water, and its elegant and refreshing feeling is not under the orchid chrysanthemum. Pu 'er tea needs to be carefully tasted and drunk in the mouth, in order to get the real charm. Although the entrance of the tea soup is slightly bitter, when the tea soup stays between the mouthparts for a period of time, it can be felt that the tea soup penetrates through the teeth, penetrates into the gums, is produced by the root of the tongue, and is sent back to the tongue surface. At this time, the aroma is overflowing, the nectar is "mouth watering", refreshing, and the body fluid overflows for a long time, which is the best feeling of tea tasting. [ 1 1]
Taboo of drinking tea
Pu 'er tea should be soaked and drunk. It is not advisable to soak tea for too long before drinking, and avoid drinking Pu 'er tea overnight. Tea polyphenols in overnight tea will leach more, so it is not suitable for drinking from the perspectives of freshness, taste, health care effect and hygiene.
Drink Pu 'er tea to divide your constitution. After drinking Pu 'er tea, there will be some signs of flatulence, belching and constipation, which belongs to the type that Pu 'er tea is not suitable for drinking.
Avoid drinking a lot of Pu 'er tea before and after meals. Pu 'er tea is best drunk half an hour after meals. If the diet is too small, Pu 'er should not drink too much.
The freshly produced Pu 'er tea is not suitable for drinking.
Pu' er tea should be drunk warm, not cold and hot; It should be drunk for a long time and should not be interrupted; It should be drunk at the same time, not partial eclipse; Drink light, not strong.
Avoid drinking inferior or deteriorated tea, avoid drinking Pu 'er tea with too many brewing times, brew raw tea with caution, and brew cooked tea properly.
Misunderstanding of brewing
When the water temperature is above 90℃, the aroma and taste of Pu 'er tea will be more obvious. However, water cannot be boiled repeatedly, and a large amount of salts will be precipitated in the repeatedly boiled water, and the precipitated salts will be suspended in the water to form white scum. Water evaporates continuously in the process of boiling, and the concentration of salt increases every time it is boiled. These insoluble salts themselves taste very bad, and some even react with tea ingredients, affecting the taste of tea soup. Some metal elements, such as copper and iron, increase in concentration in boiled water for many times, and they react with tea polyphenols, the effective component of tea leaves, destroying the fragrance. Moreover, the repeatedly boiled water contains nitrite, which will generate carcinogenic ammonium nitrite after entering the human body.
Suitable crowd
Pu 'er tea can help children digest and absorb and promote physical development. Fluorine in tea can prevent dental caries, and Pu 'er tea can regulate the nervous system and improve children's attention. Teenagers' overeating and partial eclipse will make some nutrients deficient. If zinc deficiency may lead to short stature, manganese deficiency will affect the growth of bones and lead to deformity. Tea soup is rich in minerals necessary for growth and metabolism. Moderate consumption of Pu 'er tea is beneficial to relieve intestinal tension, strengthen small intestine movement and improve the secretion of bile and intestinal fluid. Pu 'er tea is a popular drink, suitable for the general population to drink.
grade separation
The grades of Pu 'er loose tea can be roughly divided into: Gongting Pu 'er, Ritual Tea, Super Grade, Grade 1, Grade 3, Grade 5, Grade 7, Grade 8, Grade 9 and Grade 10.
Gong Pu 'er, tight and straight in shape, delicate, with golden hair exposed; The brewed soup is red in color, rich in fragrance and mellow in taste; The leaves are tender and reddish brown.
Pu 'er, a gift tea, is compact, straight and tender, with golden hair exposed; The brewed soup is red in color, rich in fragrance and mellow in taste; The leaves are tender and reddish brown.
Super Pu 'er, compact, straight and thin, with exposed hair; The brewed soup is red in color, rich in fragrance and mellow in taste; The leaves are reddish brown and tender.
First-class Pu 'er, compact in shape, slightly tender and more subtle; The brewed soup has bright red color, mellow taste and pure aroma; The leaves are reddish brown and tender.
Third-class Pu 'er, compact in shape, is still very slim; Powerful and pure gas; The leaves are reddish brown and soft.
Five-grade Pu 'er, compact in shape and slightly thinner; The brewed soup is deep red in color, mellow in taste and pure in aroma; The leaves are reddish brown, uneven and soft.
Seven-grade Pu 'er is plump and compact in appearance, brownish red and slightly gray; The brewed soup is deep red in color, mellow in taste and pure in aroma; The leaves are reddish brown, uneven and tender.
Eight-grade Pu 'er, stout in appearance and reddish brown in color; The brewed soup is deep red in color, mellow in taste and pure in aroma; The leaves are reddish brown, uneven and tender.
Nine-grade Pu 'er is thick and solid in appearance, reddish brown in color and slightly gray. Endogenous soup is deep red in color, mellow in taste and pure in aroma; Brown and red leaves are uneven and not fresh.
Ten-grade Pu 'er, slightly loose in appearance, reddish brown in color and slightly flowery; Endogenous soup is dark red in color, mild in taste and rich in aroma; The leaves are reddish brown and slightly thick.
Storage mode
physical condition
The circulating air. There is more oxygen in the circulating air, which is beneficial to the reproduction of some microorganisms in tea, thus accelerating the change of tea, but Pu 'er tea can't be hung on the balcony. There should be moderate air circulation, but it should not be placed in the tuyere. In addition, the surrounding environment can't smell, otherwise the tea will go bad. Therefore, it can't be placed in the kitchen or other environment with the smell of life or industry.
Constant temperature. The temperature of Pu 'er tea should not be too high or too low. The temperature should be based on the local environment, without artificial temperature. Normal indoor temperature is enough, and it is best to keep it between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius all the year round. Too high a temperature will accelerate the fermentation of tea and turn sour. Relatively speaking, Pu 'er tea changes faster in spring, summer and autumn than in winter. At any time, Pu 'er tea should not be exposed to the sun, and it is best to stay in the shade.
The humidity is moderate. Good Pu 'er tea should be stored in a dry warehouse, which means it should be stored in a dry environment to avoid moisture. Too dry environment will slow down the aging of Pu 'er tea, so there should be some moisture. In a relatively dry environment, you can put a small glass of water next to the tea leaves to slightly increase the humidity in the air. However, too humid environment will lead to rapid changes in Pu 'er tea, which will often be "moldy" and make tea inedible. The humidity should be controlled manually, and the annual average humidity should not be higher than 75%. Because the coastal area has a warm maritime climate, the humidity in rainy season will be higher than 75%, so it is more important to open the window for ventilation and water distribution in time.
Storage mode
Must be aged in a dry warehouse. Dry warehouse will not be moldy and slow to transform, but it can keep the authenticity of Pu 'er tea. Dry storage refers to the storage of tea leaves after fermentation in an environment with moderate temperature and humidity and good ventilation; Wet warehouse means that tea merchants put tea leaves in an environment with poor ventilation and high humidity to accelerate aging and sell old tea at a high price in the market for profit.
The temperature must not change suddenly. If the temperature in the warehouse is too high and the temperature difference changes too suddenly, it will affect the vividness of the taste of the water-based tea soup, and even if the temperature in the warehouse is too high, it will form a sultry heat and make the original raw tea mature.
Avoid odor infection. Tea is the best way to absorb odor. Sprinkling a handful of dry tea leaves will remove the odor in the air, and efforts should be made to keep the storage environment clean and odorless.
Avoid the sun and wind. In the sun, phenols and chlorophyll are more easily oxidized, which makes tea discolored and deteriorated. The increase in temperature will also accelerate the fermentation of tea and make it sour. In the air, there is more oxygen in the circulating air, which is beneficial to the reproduction of microorganisms in tea, thus accelerating the changes of tea. But tea can't be hung in the air outlet, otherwise the tea will be blown away, the tea taste will be blown away, and it will be indifferent and tasteless to drink.
Wrap it with bamboo poles. This traditional packaging material and method can help Pu 'er tea to filter off the odor in the post-fermentation process, thus ensuring its purity.
Pay attention to tea age and life. The age life of Pu 'er tea is 60 years, or 100 years, or hundreds of years. Without conclusive data, the aging degree of Pu 'er tea is often judged only by the intuition of tea tasters. For example, Fuyuan Chang and Tongqing Lao Pu 'er round tea have reached the highest point of aging, and must be sealed and preserved to avoid continuous rapid post-fermentation, resulting in the gradual disappearance of tea properties and poor taste. The Jinguagong tea in the Forbidden City has been aged for one or two hundred years, and its taste is: "The soup color is old and the tea taste is weak."
The humidity should not be too high or too dry. Too high humidity is easy to make tea go bad and moldy; If it is too dry, the transformation of tea will be too slow.
Unlike black tea
Black tea and Pu 'er tea are the main teas produced and exported in Yunnan Province. Both of them belong to "fermented tea" because polyphenols in tea are oxidized by "fermentation" during processing. However, due to the different methods and conditions of "fermentation", the raw materials used are also different and the results are different.
In the process of black tea fermentation, the oxidation of polyphenols in fresh tea depends on the enzymatic action of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase. In this process, the oxidation of tea polyphenols in Pu 'er tea mainly depends on damp heat. Because the raw material for processing Pu 'er tea is "Qingmao tea" instead of fresh tea leaves, the enzyme activity has been inactivated in the process of "inactivation" of "Qingmao tea", so that the oxidation products and quality characteristics of Pu 'er tea are completely different from those of black tea.