One day, you carefully take out a Pu'er Tea that you have cherished for several years to share with old friends. However, upon seeing the color of the dry leaves, a hint of worry crosses your mind. The taste after brewing fully confirms that your concern was not unfounded.

Recently, a tea enthusiast asked Wan Yue (WeChat ID: 6480348): “Why are those Pu'er teas stored for decades always compressed? Why is loose Leaf tea not suitable for long-term storage?”

Pu'er tea stored in loose leaf form lacks the anticipated fullness and richness in the brewed tea liquor; its aroma is fleeting and dissipates quickly; the sweet aftertaste and salivation after a few infusions are weak; and the cool and spacious throat sensation present in new tea is almost nonexistent. How did this happen?

△ Bao He Tang Ancient Tree Spring Tea Cake

The main reasons are:

First, the tea was stored in loose leaf form;

Second, the storage location was not scientifically controlled;

Third, there was no regular inspection of the stored tea.

If the latter two issues were addressed but the tea was still stored as loose leaf, what would happen?

Through repeated experiments, it was found that teas stored in loose leaf form have significant disadvantages in terms of oxidation reactions, microbial decomposition, and the formation of new substances during post-fermentation activities.

Firstly, the aroma easily volatilizes; the aroma molecules in the tea, after long-term and extensive exposure to air, gradually dissipate into the air. This directly results in a significant decrease in the concentration of the aroma in the Cup, the tea liquor, and the mouth after brewing. This is why the aroma of loose leaf tea becomes light and diffuse after storage.

Secondly, the transformation of tea requires the participation of microorganisms, some of which need to be generated under conditions with a certain level of moisture (this is completely different from the tea becoming damp, and the moisture mentioned here is based on normal and reasonable production processes).

△ Pa Ma Old Village Ancient Tree Spring Tea Infusion & Tea Cake

Dry raw tea is steamed and softened before being compressed into shape, a step that not only softens the tea to make it easier to press but also facilitates the formation of microorganisms.

Furthermore, the tea needs to form a relatively compact space, where the leaves connect with each other to enable the internal substances of the tea to transform under the action of biological enzymes.

If stored as loose leaf, the connection between the leaves is disrupted, and complex enzymatic oxidation becomes simplified, meaning the tea merely undergoes oxidation on its own. The result is not only a thin and weak flavor when brewed but also an acceleration of the carbonization of the tea, eventually rendering the tea unsuitable for drinking.

Imagine a single leaf of tea trying to undergo more enzymatic reactions – it can only oxidize itself and ultimately become carbonized.

When many leaves gather together to form a circle, each leaf contributes a bit of substance for natural transformation, providing a rich foundation that allows enzymatic reactions to proceed smoothly.

At the same time, with many leaves gathered together, the area exposed to air is greatly reduced, and the aroma molecules are condensed, making them much less likely to volatilize.

To better showcase the charm of becoming more fragrant with age, Pu'er tea needs to undergo post-fermentation. Storing it in cake form is more conducive to its transformation over time. Therefore, if you want to store tea, choose compressed forms!

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