Yunnan Chitsu Pingcha is produced from pu-erh tea, through a process of special fermentation, aging, steaming and compressing. It's characterized by a bright red-yellow infusion, pure-high aroma and sweet mellow taste. It promotes digestion, is thirst-quenching, and is even used to cure hang-overs. Drinking daily may also aide in wight-loss.
With a 5000-year-old product like tea, developments are always news. While pu-erhs have been around for centuries, white pu-erh only appeared in marketable quantities around the year 2000 – at the time, big news! Before 2000, white teas of any sort were produced in such limited quantities that to even dream of experimenting with them was unheard of. Certainly, extremely small quantities of white pu-erh had been produced in the past, but these were generally scooped up by the cream of Chinese society, government officials or tea loving high rollers in Hong Kong and Macau. This all changed with the democratization of the Chinese economy. This development saw a rise in the overall standard of living in China and with it, new interest rare specialty teas. These rare teas, white pu-erh among them, are generally only produced for the internal market. From time to time however, they can be purchased and brought over to the West. The trick is to be in the right place at the right time.
Making it is something of an art - artisans hand select the buds and top leaf of the broad-leafed white tea genus. Next, the crop is piled on a table and selected leaf by leaf for perfect color and form. The tea is then fermented very mildly and hand sorted a second time. After fermentation, the tea is pressed into traditional pu-erh molds, steamed, packaged and stored. The finished cup is superb, weaving sweetish layers that hint at musk, earth, damp moss, leaves after rain and subtle orchid leading to a light lingering finish – a stunning tea.
Size:
1 tsp
Origin:
Yunnan, China
Material:
White Pu-erh
Care:
Traditional Chinese brewing method: Break off enough tea for one cup, (about one gram) • 1st brew 30 seconds • 2nd brew 40 seconds • 3rd brew 40 seconds • 4th brew 60 seconds • 5th brew 90 seconds • 6th 120 seconds. With each subsequent brewing, note how the character of this wonderful green pu-erh subtly shifts in terms of strength and flavor.
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