Awakening tea: It involves exposing long-stored aged Pu-erh tea to air circulation, allowing the leaves to fully absorb oxygen and moisture from the natural environment, thereby reviving the tea leaves. The awakening methods are mainly divided into "dry awakening" and "wet awakening." Today, let’s explore how aged Pu-erh tea is awakened...

Dry awakening for aged Pu-erh tea refers to loosening the compressed tea cake, brick, or tuo before brewing.

Wet awakening for aged Pu-erh tea mainly involves gently rinsing the tea with boiling water during the first few infusions to allow the leaves to unfold.

Dry awakening:

1. First, remove the bamboo husk from the tea cake, then take off the paper wrapping.

2. Use a tea knife or needle to loosen the compressed tea cake, brick, or tuo. Be careful not to break the leaves too much; instead, use a peeling and pulling motion. Place the loosened tea in a shaded, well-ventilated area for 1-2 weeks to awaken, then return it to the storage container.

3. Before brewing, heat the tea leaves in a teapot or gaiwan without adding water to evaporate any moisture, which enhances the aroma and richness of the tea.

Wet awakening:

1. Warm the teaware first by rinsing it with boiling water.

2. When brewing aged Pu-erh tea, pour boiling water directly into the teapot, then transfer it to a fairness cup. Repeat this process 1-2 times to allow the tea to unfold gradually in the brewing vessel, releasing its flavors more effectively. This step significantly impacts the tea’s performance in subsequent infusions.

After both dry and wet awakening, aged Pu-erh tea’s taste and aroma are enhanced. While these are common methods, tea lovers can experiment with other techniques based on the tea’s unique characteristics, all aimed at maximizing the charm of aged Pu-erh tea.