Pu_erh Tea

I just tried some this recently. I bought it in 1 ounce cone shaped packs that was wrapped in paper. Maybee I brewed it wrong but it tasted like wax and the tea was real thick. Do you guys like this stuff?

After doing some reading I definitely brewed it wrong. I also used a whole cake. Anybody know how to flake it off the cake?

you just break some off, but in my experience it's a bit of acquired taste--in fact I hate the ones I've tried.

that cake is packed pretty tight. took a knife to it and it still was akward.

I tried to embed this, but here is a link to a video that shows how to bust up the cakes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th86G...eature=related

[Huskysibe]

Use a letter opener and get 5-7grams per 100ml of water. Here follow this guideline for brewing, its great info.
http://www.jas-etea.com/pages/Pu%252...uidelines.html

[novasurf]

Just ran out of my little nest with a rose petal. Time to re-up.

[DocLogic77]

You used a whole cake? Pu-erh is potent. I would have been up for days. I collect and age Pu-erh teas. This tea is truly wonderful with some age on it. I use a special tool that looks like a mini letter opener. I just insert it into the beeng and simply pry out a clump of tea. The key is to do as little breaking of the leaves as possible. This reduces the bitterness of the teas. I also try to seperate a bit of the clump without destroying the integrity of the leaves.

Most Pu-erhs with less than 3 years of age are undrinkable to my palate. They can taste very "farmy". Fishy taste can often be from a poorly stored beeng. With that said, Pu-erh is like a wonderful hybrid of tea and coffee. It certainly doesn't taste like any tea you are probably used to but has some herbal themes you don't get with coffee. Pu-erh though has a fuller body than any tea I have ever drank. It takes some getting used to...make sure it has some age on it then work on how you break a beeng down. Also, steeping takes a little practice and observation. Steep too long and it become undrinkable. I usually do a couple washes. Then the third I will steep no longer than 10 seconds. Right beeng, with proper age, with proper technique and you have an unreal tea experience. It's well worth the time, money and research.

thanks for the info. When I brewed it I used a whole cake for 7 minutes. I don't recomend it.

[DocLogic77]

lol...that's kinda funny. I'm sure you could have striped paint with it. No problem about the info. Lots of good information out there to read up on. If you like it...the aging theory is also extremely interesting. It differs a bit in thinking from aging cigars.