TeaChat

Okay, I've been trying Pu Erh teas recently, but have only had the dry, loose varieties. After reading up on the cakes, I was wondering if anybody can expound on the taste differences and benefits.

Looking forward to a response!

I have a cooked pu ehr from Red Blossom that is loose. It's a lot milder than the cake I bought from Pu Ehr Shop. You might find you need a knife and a scale if you're buying cakes. I have neither, but may invest in one if I buy another cake. I bought some mini cake samples that differ greatly. I guess you should try a little of everything and decide if you prefer sheng or shu. I am still at the trying everything phase and i can tell you that there is no rule (for me) as to whether loose or cakes are best.

Now that Pu Ehr is so popular there is a lot of "bootleg" pu ehr, that or they misrepresent the age of the cake. If you read thru this thread there are some good links where you can find information. There are also some folks on this thread who have very interesting blogs with pu ehr info.

Thanks! Any advice as to where I might be able to reliably purchase a reasonable cake? I'm not looking for an investment opportunity here, just a decent, non-bootlegged cake of good tasting tea.