Can I impart new and better scents in to pu-erh?
Posted: Feb 16th, '13, 21:17
I'm still quite new to all of this and a bit bummed out that the (admittedly cheap, $18) cooked puer I bought today smells slightly of fish. I could not tell till I got it home and wet. I know this is common and it's drinkable enough, but the cheap (in fact MUCH cheaper, $9) ripe pu I got while in Hong Kong didn't have this issue and I just wanted to replace my daily tea. (I have located the exact brand via ebay, so I am hopeful that when THAT comes I'll be set again for daily tea... I drink a whole lot while working!)
Now I suspect that this tea was stored in close quarters with dried fish and that's where the smell is coming from. Is that how this happens? I got it from this jack-of-all trades dry goods and tea and ginseng shop in flushing (NOT Fang tea house, btw, I don't think they'd sell this!) And, eh, now I know.
Now, if the environment can have an impact on tea is there anything I could do to curb the fish aspect? I'm thinking of putting some chunks of active charcoal in to an enclosed space with it? Or maybe submerging it in dry rice? Or is this hopeless?
It's not horrible. I might just give it away for the cost of shipping in case anyone wants it. Once I get my hands on something I like better I'm putting it aside.
Unless it grows on me. I'm drinking it now and hmm... I don't know.
Fish tea. Why didn't I save the wrapper from the Hong Kong pu erh??
Now I suspect that this tea was stored in close quarters with dried fish and that's where the smell is coming from. Is that how this happens? I got it from this jack-of-all trades dry goods and tea and ginseng shop in flushing (NOT Fang tea house, btw, I don't think they'd sell this!) And, eh, now I know.
Now, if the environment can have an impact on tea is there anything I could do to curb the fish aspect? I'm thinking of putting some chunks of active charcoal in to an enclosed space with it? Or maybe submerging it in dry rice? Or is this hopeless?
It's not horrible. I might just give it away for the cost of shipping in case anyone wants it. Once I get my hands on something I like better I'm putting it aside.
Unless it grows on me. I'm drinking it now and hmm... I don't know.
Fish tea. Why didn't I save the wrapper from the Hong Kong pu erh??