Tea Flower

First, it's important to understand that Pu-erh tea flowers are not camellia flowers. Compared to the delicate latter, Pu-erh tea flowers are more like "tenacious roses." They are pure white in color with golden stamens, appearing plump and moist. The brewed soup is crystal clear and yellow, tasting very refreshing with阵阵蜜香 (waves of honey aroma).

Like all flower teas, Pu-erh tea flowers are brewed and consumed directly. Besides beautifying, they can also calm the nerves and aid sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, you can try Pu-erh tea flowers. Nowadays, Pu-erh tea flower cakes are also sold on the market.

Tea Stems

What? Tea stems can also be drunk?

Yes, although not considered正宗 (authentic) tea leaves, Pu-erh tea stems contain a large amount of sugar, tasting mellow and sweet. Blended in different proportions, they can add unique flavor to Pu-erh tea cakes. Therefore, there are also specialized Pu-erh tea stems for sale on the market.

Like Pu-erh tea leaves, tea stems can also be aged. So now, many tea friends will blend their own Pu-erh tea stem bricks and store them for a few years. When steeped in hot water then, the rich, mellow tea soup, accompanied by the characteristic爽甜 (refreshing sweetness) of the stems, is incredibly satisfying.

Old Tea Head (Lao Cha Tou)

Before talking about Old Tea Head, we must first understand a concept: the fermentation process of ripe Pu-erh tea—wo dui (pile fermentation).

During the wo dui process of Pu-erh tea, the leaves slowly secrete pectin. This sticky natural substance binds some tea leaves together into hard clumps, which become what is introduced today as Old Tea Head.

In the past, workers would use hoes to break them open. It didn't matter if they were broken; they could be made into tea bags or mini tuos. So originally, there was no concept of Old Tea Head, but nowadays, as a tea by-product, Old Tea Head has begun to appear in the public eye.

Many tea enthusiasts boast Old Tea Head as the "essence" of tea, which is actually not the case.相反 (On the contrary), theoretically, it should be called a "reject" from failed fermentation. However, it contains more pectin, is very耐泡 (resistant to steeping), and has less tea energy than finished tea, but it is enjoyable for all ages and does not irritate the stomach, so many tea friends like it.

Here are three insights about Old Tea Head:

First, when selecting Old Tea Head, try to choose pieces that are relatively loose, have distinct strips, a clean surface, and a pure aroma. Avoid those that are tight as rocks for brewing.

Second, when brewing Old Tea Head, if you see a red clay-colored leaf base or an extremely turbid soup color, you can pour it out directly; it is undrinkable.

Third, the size of Old Tea Head. Now, because tea from wo dui is passed through a tea crusher, what the crusher cannot break becomes Old Tea Head. Therefore, Old Tea Head is relatively small in size. Although large pieces are not impossible, they are indeed relatively rare. Plus, many large Old Tea Heads on the market are伪造 (counterfeit). So when in doubt, try to buy smaller-sized ones.

Yellow Leaves (Huang Pian)

So-called Yellow Leaves are old leaves. Because their strips are loose and large, they do not form strips during the rolling process, so they are picked out during the raw material screening and sorting process, commonly known as "picking yellow leaves."

But this does not mean Yellow Leaves are of poor quality.

Generally speaking, the taste of Yellow Leaves is lighter than tea leaves, but their sweetness is much higher. Additionally, the Yellow Leaves that can be drunk actually come from very good tea tree varieties, which many tea friends refer to as old tea trees or wild tea trees. Because in managed tea plantations, trees are regularly managed and picked, most will not have old leaves. The茶叶 (tea leaves) on ancient tea trees have tall branches and leaves, yield is small, and they are not easy to pick, thus making them precious. Moreover, aged Yellow Leaves absolutely have outstanding flavor. Yellow Leaves transform quickly, are silky, smooth, and rapid in returning sweetness（回甘迅速）. Their aroma resembles a faint, elegant orchid fragrance（馥郁兰香）.

Yellow Leaves taste neither bitter nor astringent, have a unique fragrance, and are not as stomach-irritating as raw tea made from tender leaves. Therefore, Yellow Leaves do not need to be aged; they can be enjoyed痛快地 (heartily) in the same year. They also possess the quality of becoming more fragrant and mellow with age,当然 (of course) with the prerequisite that they must be Yellow Leaves from trees of sufficient age.

Tea Crab Feet (Pang Xie Jiao)

Tea Crab Feet do not actually belong to Pu-erh tea. It is a parasitic plant with very high demands on ecological environment quality. Besides parasitizing on tall trees in primitive forests, it also grows specifically on Yunnan's wild ancient tea trees in certain areas, so people have also given it a nice name: "Tea Essence" (Cha Jing).

As the name suggests, Crab Feet, because its shape resembles the small, clawing feet of a crab. It is green when fresh and turns brownish-yellow after drying. The brewed soup is yellow-green and translucent. Freshly drunk, it has a strong, special清香 (fresh scent); after aging, it acquires a medicinal aroma.

Local people in Yunnan regard it as an herbal medicine for clearing heat and detoxifying, often stewing it with old hens as a medicinal dish. With the popularity of Pu-erh tea, Crab Feet have also entered people's sight. Due to difficulties in picking and low yield, some also call it the "Cordyceps" growing on ancient tea trees.

Related links: Golden Pearl Pu-erh, Golden Flower Fu Brick Tea