Question About Leaf Grading

[beachape]

I've started drinking some dayi (menghai) sheng cha and I was curious about the leaf grade (previously had been focusing on shu, where i didn't really notice the grade because its all black). Even grade "2" seems to be less than a whole leaf. Are whole leaves going into the cakes and then I'm just breaking them apart, or are they mainly broken leaves to begin with?

Right now I've got an 8582, an 0622 and an 8542 open. The main difference i can tell is that the 8582 has more "yellow flakes" and odd looking leaves. However the general leaf size isn't that much different between the three. I've seen pics of nicer cakes with the huge leaves, wild arbor etc. Are the standard dayi (menghai) cakes just regular plantation bushes, and thats why the leaves are so small? I still have quite a bit to learn...

[nickE]

Taken from the Wikipedia article on Puerh:

Pu-erh can be sorted into ten or more grades. Generally, grades are determined by leaf size and quality, with higher numbered grades meaning older/larger, broken, or less tender leaves. Grading is rarely consistent between factories, and first grade tea leaves may not necessarily produce first grade cakes. Different grades have different flavors, and many bricks feature a blend of several grades chosen to balance flavors and strength

Hope this helps!

[shogun89]

what is posted above is pretty much correct. The reason they are coming out broken is because a majority start out that way, and because the cakes (Dayi especially) are compressed so tight there is no way around it. Dayi cakes are plantation based teas. They are massed produced by the thousands and dont use "grade A" material. I love Dayi cakes but if you want the nice plump whole "arbor" leaves you will want to look elsewhere.

[beachape]

I guess i was confused about small leaves being better vs. wild arbor being bigger but also better.

I also read (probably in the wiki...or somewhere around here) that plantation bushes are generally considered low quality with significant pesticide use. For Dayi (menghai) is this also the case? Thanks

[shogun89]

Well there is no doubt that Dayi is plantation leaf, the same goes with pesticide use as well, its pretty much guarantied. They are still a tasty cheap cake though!

[Maitre_Tea]

Also, some varietals are going to have smaller leafs in general. I think Naka and Bulang have smaller leafs than usual. Also, I believe Manzhuan leaves tend to be larger.

[beachape]

I guess its more a concern about what tastes good rather than what leaves are going in. I've noticed that the dayi that i've been drinking (2008s and 2007s) taste very camphor/menthol compared to a few others that i've tried. I was a bit surprised considering that it is plantation.