New to pu-erh (and any tea not in bags...lol...)

by **zenchick** » Nov 14th, '07, 17:01

New to pu-erh (and any tea not in bags...lol...)

by zenchick » Nov 14th, '07, 17:01

Got my order from Adagio today...white peony and pu-erh dante.
Question: the pu-erh was in a tin, the white peony in a paper bag.
I thought pu-erh should be kept wrapped in paper, and other teas kept in tins to protect from light and air.
Can someone explain?
I am having my first cup of pu-erh right now, and although it smells different...kinda like old paste..it tastes (to me) a lot like regular black tea...
I actually think I like it better...a tad milder than some I'm used to (out of teabags...lol...)
It is kind of orangeish in color.
Wel, I guess I'll just keep drinking it, and steep it for various times with various amounts of leaf, and see what happens!
So far, so good...

by **fencerdenoctum** » Nov 14th, '07, 17:11

by fencerdenoctum » Nov 14th, '07, 17:11

Don't forget to try multiple steepings to catch all the subtle changes in each brew!

Adagio's pu-erh is delicious.

The Tea Sipping Swordsman,
Fencerdenoctum

by **zenchick** » Nov 14th, '07, 17:16

by zenchick » Nov 14th, '07, 17:16

Thanks Mr. Swordsman...
What does fencerdenoctum mean...you fence in the dark?
Signed...Curious (or nosy, depending on your point of view)

by **Wesli** » Nov 14th, '07, 17:47

by Wesli » Nov 14th, '07, 17:47

Larger sizes of tea come in paper bags, at least from Adagio.

Fencer is right, crazy man, but do take the puerh through 3-4 different steeps to understand it better. You might consider giving the leaves a quick rinse before you go to steep them as well. I like the puerh more when it's red/orange, yet some people enjoy it more when it's thick and black.

by **zenchick** » Nov 14th, '07, 18:23

by zenchick » Nov 14th, '07, 18:23

Wierd...
The pu-erh 10 oz was in the tin, and the white peony 6 oz was in the paper bag.
I was expecting the opposite...
Oh, well...

I did rinse the leaves before my first steeping...

by **Wesli** » Nov 14th, '07, 18:31

by Wesli » Nov 14th, '07, 18:31

Makes sense. White tea is less dense/lighter so 6 oz of it turns out to be quite a significant volume of leaves. The puerh, on the other hand, while still loose, is made up of much denser leaves, so 10oz of it can still easily fit in one of Adagio's larger tins.

by **Mary R** » Nov 14th, '07, 18:45

by Mary R » Nov 14th, '07, 18:45

you might want to find a good tin for the white tea, though. you can't leave it out to air for very long before the taste wanes.

by **fencerdenoctum** » Nov 14th, '07, 18:46

by fencerdenoctum » Nov 14th, '07, 18:46

Fencerdenoctum- Fencer of the Night. Its just a screenname I've had for years, and it keeps me from having to make up a new one.

I used to really like fencing, (never got into it though), but now I do a little Kenjutsu so its justified.

Again, to keep this post relevant, Pu-erh is delicious.

The Tea Sipping Swordsman,
Fencerdencotum

by **zenchick** » Nov 14th, '07, 20:08

by zenchick » Nov 14th, '07, 20:08

Thank you, Mary.
I have it (for the moment) in a metal coffee can...it has a plastic top...think that'll be okay for awhile? It's full to the top, so not much air can get in...
Have to find a 'real' tin...
Sharon

P.S. As the tea volume gets smaller through use...how do you eliminate the air inside?
Since plastic bags 'breathe'...I'm stumped...

by **Wesli** » Nov 14th, '07, 21:39

by Wesli » Nov 14th, '07, 21:39

The best thing to do, and what most of us do, is to throw the tea in a bag. Maybe double-bag it, maybe not, and then stick that in the tin. Double-bagging normally does wonders for leaf preservation, but my favorite way to store tea is in a double lidded tin. With the double-lidded tins I don't even worry about leaving it in the bag. I just dump the leaves in, and scoop at will.