How to brew a cup of Pu'er tea—the simplest yet the most difficult. Different people using different techniques can affect the flavor of Pu'er tea. Only with the correct brewing method can the tea's qualities be brought out to the fullest.
Generally, Gaiwan (lidded bowls) and purple clay pots are used for brewing Pu'er tea. Each has its own characteristics. Once you understand these, you can choose the right tool for the right occasion (ripe Pu'er and raw Pu'er aged over ten years are usually brewed in a purple clay pot, while raw Pu'er aged under ten years is often brewed in a Gaiwan for tasting).
A Gaiwan is made of porcelain. In simple terms, the tea brewed in a Gaiwan presents its original flavor. A purple clay pot is made of pottery and has the property of enhancing the tea's aroma. Many purple clay pot collectors understand that to brew a good pot of tea, one must know that Pu'er tea includes raw, ripe, and aged varieties, which require different pots; otherwise, the tea's flavor will become muddled.
[Gaiwan Brewing Method]
1. Warming the cups
To make the aroma more pure, you can quickly warm the Gaiwan 2 to 3 times before formally brewing the Pu'er tea.
Before brewing, pour boiling water into the Gaiwan to clean the tea set and raise its temperature, ensuring that the color, aroma, and taste of the tea are fully released during brewing.
2. Rinsing the cups
To rinse the cups, first place hot water in a cup rinse or drinking cup, then rotate the drinking cup inside to ensure it is thoroughly cleaned. If drinking alone, using the cup rinse is sufficient.
3. Placing the tea
The amount of tea depends on personal taste, generally 5–8 grams. Use a tea funnel to help place the tea, then gently tap the teapot to evenly distribute the leaves.
4. Rinsing the tea
Rinsing the tea means cleaning it by pouring water over the leaves and then pouring it out.
5. Pouring water
You can use a high-pour method to make the tea leaves roll. The pouring speed should be steady. After pouring boiling water, the high temperature may cause foam to form on the tea; gently skim it off with the lid.
6. Steeping
Steeping in a Gaiwan helps the tea leaves spread more easily. The steeping times are: 10 seconds for the first brew, 15 seconds for the second, and after the third brew, steep for 20 minutes each time.
7. Pouring the tea
The tea can be poured directly into a fairness pitcher, then evenly distributed into cups. Arrange the cups in a row and pour in a circular motion to ensure each cup is evenly filled. Even the last drops should be distributed evenly.
8. Serving the tea
Place the cup on a saucer, raise it to eyebrow level, and offer it to the guest.
9. Tasting
When tasting Pu'er tea, focus on finding its aroma and observing its color. First, look at the tea's color, then sip to taste.
[Purple Clay Pot Brewing Method]
1. Preparing the tools
Choose a pot with a slightly larger capacity and a wider opening; the clay type does not matter. Prepare clean cold water and tools for boiling water, or boil water in advance and store it in a thermos bottle.
2. Warming the pot and rinsing the tools
Pour boiling water into the purple clay pot, swirl it, then pour it into the fairness pitcher. From the fairness pitcher, pour into tasting cups. Warm the cups by using a "lion rolling the embroidered ball" motion or by gently rotating them counterclockwise. Pour the water from the last cup into the tea tray.
3. Placing the tea
Carefully place the Pu'er tea into the pot. Use a tea spoon to take tea from the tea canister and place it into the pot. The amount of tea depends on the specific tea being brewed.
4. Moistening the tea
Pour boiling water into the pot until it just covers the tea leaves, then quickly pour it out to awaken the tea. Repeat once. The water used to moisten the tea can be left in the fairness pitcher to pour over the pot, maintaining the tea's temperature, or used to warm the cups and tools.
5. Waiting for the water
Pay attention to the speed and angle of pouring. The pouring speed affects the water temperature: fast pouring results in higher temperature, while slow, thin pouring results in lower temperature. Adjust according to the characteristics of the tea being brewed. The pouring angle affects the impact on the tea leaves and their rolling. Teas with many hairs and ripe Pu'er should not be overly impacted or rolled, otherwise the tea liquor will become cloudy and lack clarity.
6. Pouring the tea
Filter the tea from the pot into a fairness pitcher, then evenly pour it into tasting cups from a low position. Low pouring means pouring slowly from a low height, keeping the spout close to the rim of the cup to prevent aroma loss and temperature drop.
A pot of tea is usually divided into four cups. When pouring tea from the pot into cups, do not fill each cup at once. First, pour a little into each cup, then evenly add more until the cups are about 70% full, ensuring consistent strength. When the pot is almost empty, distribute the "essence" evenly among the cups in a dotting manner, ensuring each cup has the same strength.
7. Serving the tea
Also known as offering tea to guests. Place the tasting cup on a saucer, hold the saucer with both hands, raise it to eyebrow level, and offer it to the guest.
8. Tasting
After receiving the tea, enjoy it while hot. When tasting, first observe the tea's color, focus on smelling its aroma, and then sip to taste. Do not swallow the tea immediately upon entering the mouth. Instead, inhale while letting the tea roll on the tip of your tongue, savor it repeatedly, and then swallow slowly to appreciate the sweet aftertaste. Tasting Pu'er tea is all about seeking its aroma and exploring its color.
Only with mindfulness can you brew good tea, and good tea requires mindful brewing. Experience is just a guide; brewing tea relies on practice. By using different temperatures and steeping times, you will discover that the same tea can show different changes with each brew.