What is Pǔ ěr Tea?
Puer Tea from Yunnan, China
Pu er tea is sometimes called darkened tea. It was originally created for trade with other Asian countries. Pǔ ěr had lost its desirability for some time, but became popular once again in the 1950s. This type of tea is a Chinese specialty tea.
The tea is processed in a number of places on Mainland China but those from the Yunnan province are properly called Pǔ ěr Tea because of a trading post where this tea was a specialty item in the Pǔ ěr County near the Pǔ Ěr Valley. It is generally sold in a circular compressed form, called a Tea Brick, although it can be found as a loose tea.
Most Chinese Tea is a clear lightly colored tea, as you can see from the photos of brewed tea throughout this blog. But Pǔ ěr tea when brewed has a reddish yellow color, unlike Black Tea that brews to a beautiful red. The Tea leaves your mouth with a clean fresh taste.
An Unwrapped qī zi bǐng chá (七子餅茶) 7 Units Tea Cake
There are two types of Pǔ ěr Tea. The first is called shēng chá, (生茶) which is “raw” or “green” tea. It is processed as other teas through sunlight and exposure to air the tea leaves ferment and become dark. The darker variety is called shu cha, which is “ripened” or “darkened” tea. Shú chá (熟茶) goes through a secondary process that darkens the tea even more. It’s my thinking that this secondary process was created in ordere to transport the tea more simply.
In the secondary process the tea is steamed and formed into cakes. The pictured tea is called qī zi bǐng chá (七子餅茶) literally seven units cake tea because they were packed in groups of seven cakes for shipping or transportation.
The process to make the cakes:
- The tea is weighed to the proper amount for the cake.
- The tea is lightly steamed to make the leaves softer and tacky (so it will hold together.)
- The ticket or ribbon is placed upside down into a cloth bag or a cloth .
- The steamed tea is put into the vcloth and the bag gathered into a circular form on the top. (This makes a circular impression on the back side of the tea called a dimple.
- The tea is compressed with a hydraulic press.
The tea is then aged, and because of the pressing the tea can be aged with benefit for many years as the compression also serves to preserve the tea. One who purchases this type of tea must use caution, buying from only reputable tea dealers. This type of tea, because of its popularity, is often counterfeited.
A Closer Look
Why is it Called Oolong Tea?
Oolong Tea: Notice the Beautiful Yellow Color
The word Oolong (in Chinese 烏龍) is literally translated as black dragon. So what we call Oolong Tea means Black Dragon Tea. I’ve pondered this many times. Oolong tea is closer to a green tea type tea. It looks like a green tea when brewed as it has a beautiful clear golden yellow color. It also looks like a green tea in its unbrewed form. So why call it Black Dragon Tea.
Because the origin of Oolong tea is shrouded in the mists of antiquity there are three theories about how Oolong Tea came to have that name. But in my mind, one seems more likely from a historical perspective.
The first theory is that it was first cultivated in the Wuyi Mountains(武夷山) of Fujian Province in China during the Ming Dynasty. Evidence comes in the form of two poems published during the Qing Dynasty which followed. The Qing Dynasty started in 1644 and ended with the Xin Hai revolution in 1912, when the empress dowager abdicated the throne on behalf of her son the emperor.
Wuyi Mountian in Fujian Province
The first is called the Wuyi Tea Song by Yi Chaogun
In the 15th century
tea fields were abandoned
as some of the rock tea starts to grow
they love it when the north wind blow in a sunny day
but not the south wind or rain
the fragrance dissipates
the beautiful plum and orchid aroma
come from the final baking process
The second is called Tea Tale by Wang Chaotang
Wuyi tea is first left to sun in bamboo basket
Then roasted and baked
Longjing tea is pure because it is roasted but not withered
Only Wuyi tea is roasted and withered
Half green and half red
Roasted green and withered red
Left to wither then shaken
When the fragrance emerges, it is roasted
The timing has to be precious
This theory seems most plausible to me as these poems seem to chronicle the processing of Oolong Tea. The process for preparing Oolong Tea is still the same today:
- It’s picked by hand.
- Left in a basket in the sun to oxidize.
- It’s rolled into balls
- Baked in an oven
Black Tea in Foreground, Notice how the Oolong (back) is rolled into balls.,
It’s important to know that green, Black and Oolong Tea come from the same plant. The differences are in the fermenting or oxidizing of the leaves. Green Tea is not oxidized, and black tea is fully oxidized. Oolong tea is partially oxidized. So as the poem says it’s “half green and half red.” Black tea in Chinese is called Hong Cha (紅茶) Hong means red in Mandarin.
The second Theory is based on the Tribute Tea. This is tea that was grown and processed for emperors, and dates back to the Song Dynasty. The emperors of that time set up the Beiyun Tea Garden again in Fujian Province. The tea produced there was in the form of a hard cake called the Dragon-Phoenix Tea Cake. But as the Song Dynasty became the Ming Dynasty this tea cake fell out of favor. The Beiyun Garden changed its process to loose tea. The result was a glossy, dark loose-leaf tea. Called Black Dragon Tea.
This version seems less likely to me as Oolong tea is not a dark colored tea leaf, the color is a green that turns to a yellow color as it brews.
Fujian province is in Southwestern China across the straight from Taiwan
The final theory is based on a legend as are a lot of Chinese Traditions. According to the legend, a man named Long, who was particularly dark skinned and called WuLong (Black Dragon), was hunting. He was distracted by a deer and followed after it. By the time he had returned to the tea stored in his bag it was halfway oxidized. The tea became popular and was called Black Dragon Tea after this man.
This legend, while an interesting story, seems the least likely explanation for the name. In any case I drink Oolong Tea far more often than any other kind.
Source: http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/oolong-tea-history.html
Photo Credit: Wuyi Mountain: http://www.whatsonxiamen.com/wine_msg.php?titleid=1253
All Other Photos Chris Banducci
Tea by the Sea
Oolong Tea on the Patio
My family and I, while I’m writing this are taking our first family vacation. We’ve gone to visit relatives, we’ve taken trips for conferences and tried to work in some time for fun, but this week we just took off for the sheer joy of spending some time together relaxing. We live in Northern Taiwan, which is currently wrapped in the cold cloak of winter, so we headed as far south as we could go without a boat. The Southern end of the Island is at the same latitude as Hawaii, so we headed there and to a small beach town called Kenting on the southern tip of Taiwan. Kenting is noted for it’s surf and Hawaii-like atmosphere, but not for tea, so I brought along a nice Oolong that I purchased recently at San Yi Tea, in Taoyuan City. What a delight to sit out by the beach and drink tea in the early morning.
One thing about tea is that it enhances a peaceful experience. Beverages are like that, certain beverages are about specific moods, I think. Coffee is a waker-upper, it keeps you alert and it gives energy. It’s nice to sit and drink in the morning if you want to get ready for the day, but I think tea is more relaxing, it’s nice to drink just to savor the moment. Tea relaxes, it mellows you, it just enhances the moment.
My favorite of all teas is Oolong. I love the crystal clear, golden color and kind of nutty taste. The difference between Oolong and Green tea is the amount of fermentation. Green Tea is not fermented, Black Tea is 100 percent fermented. Oolong is somewhere in between, usually about 20 to 30 percent fermentation. Because the fermentation process affects the caffeine content, Green Tea is the most caffeinated and Black Tea the least. So if you’re looking for that jump start in the morning, Green Tea is the best option.
Today we spent the morning just relaxing, drinking tea and listening to the surf pound the beach. The nice thing is that we’re virtually alone. This hotel, the Chateau, has a private beach and during the off season, practically no one is hanging around.
The Chateau Beach Resort, Kenting Taiwan
Gongfu Tea: The Experience
A Beautiful Teapot with Chinese Characters
Recently, I went to San Yee Tea in Taoyuan City to sample teas. I like to go there because the atmosphere in that place is relaxing and warm. The tea is also excellent. Tea is a very important part of the Taiwanese Culture. In fact, a whole culture has sprung up around tea.
Probably the finest aspect of the tea culture is Gongfu Tea. In the last post, “Gongfu Tea: Drink this Grasshopper,” I gently mocked the American perception that Gongfu or Kung Fu is always about martial arts. Actually, the term Gongfu means that time and effort is put into learning and mastering something. Tea Masters understand how tea is grown, when it’s best to pick, what age of plant produces the best tea, how to brew each type of tea for the best result, brewing temperatures, brewing times and how to serve tea in a way that makes people feel good, and highlights the flavor of the tea. All of these things and much more contribute to the Gongfu tea experience.
Typical Chinese Decorating: Sparse is Beautiful
When you walk into San Yee Tea you notice first the beautifully designed interior: The circular arch that separates the sales floor from the tea brewing area. The second thing you notice is the beautiful ancient Chinese music that’s playing. These things are also part of the experience. The interior design is aesthetically pleasing and is set up to relax you; the music contributes to that overall effect.
Being relaxed is helpful in experiencing the subtle differences between the tea flavors and fragrances. My friend who introduced me to San Yee Tea is a somewhat high-energy person, who has kind of a nervous personality. He constantly fidgets and talks fast. His hands have to be doing something at all times. As we were talking about the tea, with the owner, my friend remarked that he couldn’t tell the difference between the tea samples. The owner told him, “That’s because you’re heart beats too fast, you have to learn to relax to appreciate the tea.” That, in essence is what the ambience of a good Gongfu Teashop, seeks to do; relax you so that you can appreciate the flavors of the tea.
A Cup of Oolong Tea, Notice the Clarity and Color
The conversation centers on tea. Talk flows around the growing location, altitude and temperature variations, all of which affect the flavor of the tea. It can also touch on processes and oven temperatures another contributor to the color and flavor of the tea.
In short, the gongfu experience is all about the tea and relationships. I have found those times when I have been treated to this type of experience to be interesting, informative and relaxing. The end result, and really this is the primary goal of gongfu, is the building of relationships. Time is taken to understand tea, but time is taken with your guest, as well. It is to show the sincerity of your care for guests and desire to build your relationship with that person. I recently had an American friend visit me in Taiwan and I served him tea in the gongfu style. After his return to America, he sent me a brief note saying he was craving “sincere tea.” I guess I did it the right way.
The following video is the highlights of the Gongfu Tea Ceremony. I will go more deeply into this in future posts. The music is called, “Lofty Mountains, Flowing River,” performed by the South China Music Troupe. It is played on the Chinese Lute, called, in Chinese, the guzheng.
A Chinese Guzheng
Gongfu Tea: Drink This, Grasshopper
Jackie and Jaden and that other Gongfu
Just what exactly is gongfu tea? By way of explanation, Jackie Chan in his 2010 remake of The Karate Kid uttered a classic line. It took place after endlessly drilling Jaden Smith on hanging up his coat. Over and over he tells him, “Take coat off…put on ground…pick up…put coat on…” Smith’s character finally loses it and starts yelling. Then Jackie utters the memorable line, “Gongfu found in everything.” That’s it. Okay, so maybe you’re weren’t as inspired by those words as I was but it made me think about tea. Of course, just about everything that doesn’t make me think about food makes me think about tea. Since I haven’t heard of Gongfu Pork Chops, I guess we have to go with tea, here. Fortunately, we have a platform since this blog is appropriately titled, “The Tea Blog.”
Those of us from places like the U.S. think of gongfu as Chinese Martial Arts: Twirling kicks, forceful punches, boards breaking, opponents being tossed across the room, defying the laws of physics you get the idea. But once again you’re asking the question what does all this have to do with tea? The term gongfu, as used in China and Taiwan, really refers to any skill that is achieved through hard work and practice. Gongfu tea doesn’t have anything to do with breaking the teapot or anything like that.
A typical although not beautiful Gongfu Tea Set
Gongfu tea is a ceremony that is often performed when serving tea in Taiwan. It is something you do to show hospitality and care for guests in your home or business. When we bought our car and were waiting for the paperwork to be completed the salesman/dealership owner served us tea, in the gongfu way. If you have a company that does business with Taiwanese businessmen it would help your relationship with them to learn to perform gongfu tea. It would also help to have a high-quality Taiwanese grown tea available. Taiwanese tea is some of the finest tea available in the world.
Growing, processing, brewing and serving tea properly are all considered an art in Taiwan. I will be using this blog to introduce this Taiwanese art. In my next post I will share the art of serving tea. I’ll show you in video and tell you about properly serving tea. In other posts we’ll visit Yingge where ceramic teapots and tea sets can be purchased. We’ll travel to a tea field and other places where tea is processed. And we’ll look at what makes a certain type of tea that type.
The best thing about it is that we’ll be able to learn about tea together and who knows, maybe we’ll run into each other and drink some tea together. Then we can criticize each other’s techniques, tea choices and etiquette, won’t that be fun?
This Site is Under Construction
The Tea Blog is a blog about tea. Gee, kind of self explanatory, huh? In the Tea Blog we’ll write about the different varieties of tea grown in Taiwan, how and where it’s grown, processing and brewing methods. We’ll use video, photos and written descriptions to show all of this and we might even have a little fun along the way.
The site will introduce you to what Taiwanese people call Gongfu tea. This is a method of brewing and serving tea that is peculiar to Taiwan and China, but maybe you’ll be the one who brings it to your nation. The Tea Blog is a part of the website www.taiwangongfutea.com where you’ll be able to buy tea, tea products and tea brewing and serving equipment.
Thanks for your interest in Taiwan and Taiwanese tea.
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