Notebooks

The History of Tea: From its Origins to Today

Five millennia of history, from its botanical cradle in Yunnan to European drawing rooms. The story is told by a Pu'er house, based in the mountains six months a year.

Fermented or Raw Pu'er: How to Choose?

Shou or sheng, fermented or raw: two families of Pu'er, two very different characteristics. A guide to choosing the one that suits you.

Benefits of Pu'er Tea: What Traditional Chinese Medicine Says

Before it was a beverage of pleasure, tea was a remedy. What traditional Chinese medicine says about Pu'er — origins, post-meal uses, and our approach: tradition, not prescription.

Pu'er and Seasons: Which Tea for Which Moment

In Chinese thought, one does not drink the same tea in summer and winter. It's not a matter of personal taste, but a matter of balance. Traditional Chinese medicine classifies every food, every dr...

Aging Your Pu'er: Time as an Ingredient

Pu'er is the only tea in the world that improves with age. Where a green tea loses its aromas in a few months, a well-stored Pu'er gains depth, roundness, and complexity year after year. This prop...

Gushu: What is Ancient Tree Tea?

In the world of Pu'er, one word comes up more than any other: gushu. We see it on packaging, in descriptions, on tea stalls in China. It means "ancient tree" and it changes everything. A Pu'er fro...

How to choose your first Pu'er

You've heard of Pu'er, read a few lines, perhaps tasted a cup at someone's house, and you'd like to start, but the field seems vast. Raw, fermented, cake, loose leaf, ancient tree, young sprout: w...

From Bud to Cake: How Pu'er Tea is Made

Pu'er is not made in a factory. It is born in the hands of a picker, passes through the fire of a wok, dries in the Yunnan sun, and takes its form under the press, when it is not simply left loose...

Pu'er Water: temperature, source, and what it changes

You can buy the best Pu'er in the world, measure it to the gram, time each infusion, and still get a disappointing tea. Because the water was bad. Water is the invisible ingredient in tea, the one...

How to Brew Pu'erh Tea: The Complete Guide

Four methods to prepare Pu'er tea, from gaiwan to thermos. Dosage, temperature, number of infusions: everything you need to know for a perfect cup.