Okay, I Bought a Pu-erh Tea Cake. Now What?
Pu-erh for Beginners — Part 2 of 3
In Part 1, we met Pu-erh.
We learned why it's different from the loose-leaf teas you may be accustomed to, tackled Sheng vs. Shou, and discovered why your tea sometimes arrives looking suspiciously like a tiny hockey puck.
So now you have one of those little wrapped cakes sitting in front of you.
You've admired it.
You've unwrapped it.
And now you're thinking:
Okay...how do I actually turn this thing into tea?
Good news. It's much easier than it looks.
Do I Use the Whole Thing?
If you have a mini Pu-erh cake, usually, yes.
That's one of the reasons mini cakes are so convenient. They're already portioned into a manageable amount of tea, so there's no need to attack a giant compressed cake with a tea knife on your first Pu-erh adventure.
Simply remove the wrapper and place the mini cake into your teapot, gaiwan, or other heat-safe brewing vessel.
Depending on the size of your mini cake, the size of your brewing vessel, and how strong you like your tea, you can certainly use less.
Remember:
Tea is supposed to taste good to you. We're brewing tea here, not performing a chemistry experiment.
First, Give It a Quick Rinse
This is the step that sometimes surprises people who are new to Pu-erh.
We're going to pour water over our tea...
...and then throw that water away.
I know.
It feels wrong.
But with compressed Pu-erh, a quick rinse helps warm the leaves and begin loosening that tightly packed little cake so it's ready to brew.
Pour hot water over your Pu-erh, let it sit for just a few seconds, and then pour that water off.
That's it. And just so we're perfectly clear:
We're rinsing the tea with water.
Please don't wash your tea with soap.
I shouldn't have to say that.
But somewhere, someone was about to do it.
Now Let's Actually Make Some Tea
Once your Pu-erh has had its little wake-up call, it's time for the first real infusion.
Pu-erh generally likes hot water. For ripe Shou Pu-erh, water near boiling is a good place to start. Raw Sheng Pu-erh can also be brewed quite hot, although slightly cooler water can sometimes soften the bitterness of a younger Sheng.
Pour your water over the tea and start with a relatively short steep.
Then taste it.
That's important.
Don't immediately decide you brewed it "wrong" because your cup doesn't taste exactly like somebody on the internet said it should.
Your tongue outranks the instructions on the package.
If your tea is stronger than you like, shorten the next steep.
If it's too light, let the next one go a little longer. You're allowed to adjust.
In fact, you're supposed to.
Wait! Don't Throw Those Leaves Away!
You finished your cup.
It was delicious.
You look at that pile of wet tea leaves and instinctively reach for the trash.
STOP.
Your Pu-erh isn't finished with you yet.
One of the best things about Pu-erh is that the same leaves can usually be steeped again and again.
Add more hot water.
Steep.
Drink.
Repeat.
And here's where it gets really interesting:
The next cup may not taste exactly like the first one.
The first infusion might be bold.
The next may be smoother.
Another may reveal more sweetness, fruit, wood, spice or something you can't quite put your finger on.
And meanwhile, that hard little tea cake you started with is slowly coming apart. The leaves loosen.
They expand.
They open.
By the time you've brewed several infusions, you may look into your teapot and wonder how all of those leaves possibly fit inside that tiny little cake.
How Many Times Can I Steep It?
Ah, the question every tea drinker eventually asks.
And the answer is wonderfully annoying:
It depends.
Some Pu-erhs will give you several satisfying infusions. Others can keep going much longer. The tea itself matters. So does the amount of leaf, the amount of water, your steeping time—and how strong you personally like your tea.
So don't worry about hitting some magical number.
Keep brewing it until you decide the tea has given you everything it has to give.
When the flavor becomes too light for you to enjoy, you're done.
No tea police will arrive.
Promise.
Don't Rush It
Pu-erh is a little different from brewing a tea bag once and tossing it. Part of the experience is seeing what happens from one infusion to the next.
Pay attention.
Smell the leaves before you brew them.
Notice the aroma after that first rinse.
Watch the cake slowly loosen and open.
Taste the first infusion and compare it with the third.
You may discover that your favorite cup wasn't the first one at all.
And that's when you start to understand why people get a little obsessed with Pu-erh.
Because you're not simply making the same cup of tea over and over.
You're watching the tea unfold.
And now that we know how to brew it, there's one last question:
Why can one Pu-erh taste completely different from another?
That's where we're headed in Part 3 of our Pu-erh for Beginners series.
We'll explore the flavors of Pu-erh, what makes each one different, take a look at those fascinating little citrus Pu-erhs—and venture just a little farther down the Pu-erh rabbit hole.
Happy steeping,
Tea-Licious
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