metropolitan
FORMED ZHEN CANG PU-ERH 375g. Spring 2016. black
Regular price
$6.25
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CUP CHARACTERISTICS: Elemental earthly notes with a strong cup.
INGREDIENTS: Black tea (Pu-Erh style)
INGREDIENTS FROM: China
REGION(S): Yunnan Province
GROWING ALTITUDES: 1500 - 4900 feet above sea level
GRADE(S): Compressed OP (Orange Pekoe)
MANUFACTURE TYPE(S): Special pu-erh process, Hand crafted
ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL: Low
CAFFEINE LEVEL: Medium
KOSHER: Yes
VEGETARIAN: Yes
VEGAN: Yes
ARTISANAL NOTES: Packed in Canada at The Metropolitan Tea Company.
INFUSION: Deep brown tending dull
INFORMATION:
In some remote villages of Yunnan Province, Pu-Erh Beeng cha, the 7-layered teacake, holds a special place in local legend. In fact, it is apparently from one such village story that the fabled tea gets its colloquial name, Qizi, or 7 Sons. The ancient tale tells of the wife of a government official whose job it was to oversee the town's faltering tea industry. Over the years the couple had been blessed with 6 male offspring. They wanted to have a seventh child and hoped for a boy believing that the magic of such good fortune might help turn around the local economy. One night in a dream, a dragon appeared to the government official and told him that if he wanted to ensure a seventh son and save the town, he should prepare a cake made with 7 layers of the local Pu-Erh. The dragon insisted that if he and his wife spoke their wish into the steam of the first pot as the tea steeped, their wish would come true by the time they had finished brewing the entire cake. The next morning, the official went to the local factory and instructed the production manager to create the 7-layered Pu-Erh cake. Once the cake was ready, he and his wife sat down to a pot of tea, following the dragon's instructions as they did so. Over the next week, the two finished brewing the cake of tea, and sure enough, 3 weeks later, the wife became pregnant. 8 months after that, so the story goes, the couple announced the birth of a seventh son! The entire village rejoiced at the news! And as for the local economy? Well, the new 7-layered cake proved to be a hit. Sales began shooting skyward and the village grew prosperous. And if you can find this village, which shall here remain nameless, you'll see that it still is to this day! So what makes Pu-Erh Beeng Cha so special? Well, besides its wish-granting qualities, once the tea is compressed, it is aged two years. This process gives the tea a wonderfully earthy, or elemental profile with underlying musty notes. As well, the leaves of the tea, once broken off the cake can be brewed a number of times - with each brewing, the flavor of the cup shifts and changes in incredibly subtle ways. So go ahead, brew yourself a pot, make a wish, and see how this one affects your sales totals! Where was black Pu-erh developed? Good question. While the exact origins of most Chinese Pu-erh teas have been lost to the mists of time and place, the origin of 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. (They were right, to this day black Pu-erh is the world's top-selling variety.) What makes black Pu-erh tea different from other black teas? Great question. The answer is real fermentation and aging. 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.
STEEPING TIME
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS:
IDEAL BREWING TEMPERATURE: 100ºC/212ºF
HOT BREWING METHOD:
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Break tea apart and place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz/200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher): (To Make 1 Liter/Quart):
Break tea apart and place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea into a teapot or heat-resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.)
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Individual Serving):
Break tea apart and place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)
FOOD SAFETY ADVISORY: We strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today's water has been known to carry viruses, parasites and bacteria. Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses.
RECOMMENDATION: We recommend the use of our '1 Cup of Perfect Tea' measuring spoon (Item# 11MS-1370) for best results. Please contact Metropolitan Tea to place an order.
ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT: For a greater antioxidant benefit brew longer and use more tea.
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