The five solids of Pu-erh tea: People, Pu-erh Tea, Water, Utensils, Mat; two intangibles: Method, Spirit. People are the core of all things. That is to say, although I am talking about Pu-erh tea, Pu-erh tea itself cannot be the core; instead, Pu-erh tea revolves around people. This is why there are such varied types of Pu-erh tea, and all kinds of strange Pu-erh teas. Before these strange Pu-erh teas came into the world, they were the result of so-called methods formed under human spiritual thinking and executed by people.
Pu-erh tea is a physical object, discovered and utilized by people. This physical object can bring people dual enjoyment, both physical (entity) and spiritual (intangible entity). Physically, it offers the functional benefits of Pu-erh tea; spiritually, it brings the pleasure derived from Pu-erh tea.
Before enjoying Pu-erh tea, some auxiliary physical objects are needed, such as water, utensils, and a mat. Without these, Pu-erh tea can still exert its functional effects on people, but one cannot say they are "enjoying" it.
As a modern beverage, Pu-erh tea can hardly do without water or utensils. Water mainly serves to release the tea juice. However, the release of Pu-erh tea juice is not achieved by water alone. If the water has mixed or odd flavors, the brewed tea will not taste good; if the water has a sweet taste, the brewed tea may not necessarily be sweet. This indicates that water does not always improve the tea's flavor.
Utensils, for Pu-erh tea, similarly serve an auxiliary purpose. Tea utensils can be made of different materials: freshly cut bamboo tubes, glass, ironware, ceramics, or gold and silverware. Some are for boiling water, some for brewing Pu-erh tea, and some for holding Pu-erh tea soup. In modern times, they are equally indispensable for Pu-erh tea and people. However, the principle remains the same: tea utensils do not necessarily enhance the taste of Pu-erh tea.
The mat, for Pu-erh tea, is not necessary when there are fewer than three people. Based on the people-centered core, the role of the mat in the context of Pu-erh tea is mostly to hold utensils, and the time used for brewing Pu-erh tea is short. But in the Chinese spiritual mindset, the sense of superiority gained from material comparison is very strong. That is to say, the current role of the tea mat has long exceeded its original purpose of hospitality for the sake of comparison. What truly functions more is an "open storage box" for utensils.
The method for Pu-erh tea is the wisdom结晶 of generations of Pu-erh tea people. This includes methods for making Pu-erh tea, brewing Pu-erh tea, growing Pu-erh tea, tasting Pu-erh tea, and so on. Although method is an intangible, it has been very important from the first stage to the current third stage in the relationship between people and Pu-erh tea. It is so important that even if you are given the best Pu-erh tea, water, utensils, and mat, you may not be able to express the characteristics these objects should have, let alone meet the expectations for Pu-erh tea.
Often, we think the world of Pu-erh tea is very complex, but if we pull Pu-erh tea to two extremes—one is the smallest problem, and the other is the biggest problem—it's like standing at a high point on a mountain looking at the surrounding scenery: what is clear are the surrounding mountains. Or standing next to a flower looking at it, it is also very clear. But when we stand halfway up the mountain looking around, or stand 7-8 meters away from the flower, what we see is always hazy. The world of Pu-erh tea is just this simple, you can understand it too!
Related links: Golden Flower Pu-erh, Golden Flower Fu Brick Tea