Pu'er Raw Bingdao Gushu, 100g Cake

Pu'er ferments for a long time. This gradual fermentation eliminates the vast majority of theine, and what remains no longer resembles the stimulating effect of a green or black tea: the brew is soothing, drinkable at any time, including before sleep or after a heavy meal.

We return to the Yunnan mountains every spring to select our harvests directly from Yunnan producers. This tea cake comes from ancient trees in Bingdao, Mengku, tea trees that grow slowly at altitude, without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and whose leaves concentrate what decades of growth have had time to develop. Each cake is hand-pressed according to the traditional method, then wrapped in parchment paper.

In Chinese tradition, raw Pu'er is associated with inner freshness. Appreciated after meals, it is renowned, according to this tradition, for its connection to the liver and for the clarity it brings to digestion.

Bingdao is one of the rarest terroirs in Mengku, Lincang. The trees from which this tea comes grow at high altitudes, far from intensive cultivation. Their age, sometimes decades or more, gives the leaves a depth that recent plantations cannot replicate. The slow growth, the high-altitude soil, the air of these mountains: all of this is reflected in the cup, in the minerality, in the floral notes, in that persistent finish.

Water at 95-100°C. For a classic teapot, use 5g per 1 liter. For gaiwan with the gongfu method, slightly increase the quantity and infuse for 10 to 20 seconds, re-infusing many times: each steeping reveals a different aspect of the tea. The cake can be flaked with a tea needle or your fingers to take what you need, without breaking it.

The same portion can be re-infused throughout the day: simply place the leaves in a tea ball, and re-infuse as desired until evening.

This raw Pu'er ages and improves with years, like a fine vintage. Keep it away from humidity, strong odors, and direct light, in a breathable, not airtight, container. A cake bought today will be different in five years, and often better.

Fresh vegetal notes, white flowers, mineral touch on the opening. Lively on the palate, citrus, stone fruit, slight astringency characteristic of sheng. Long, persistent finish, which promises a beautiful evolution with age.