Sheng Puer Tea (raw) Menghai Spring 2019 357g

Description

The leaves of Menghai Spring 2019 sheng puer tea (raw) come from the Menghai area in the Yunnan region of southern China. To better understand this product, it is necessary to look more closely at the area where its leaves originate, since in most cases it is the place of origin itself that gives the tea its name and main organoleptic qualities. This puer is mainly made from the harvest collected in the vast Menghai area, west of the Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture in the far south of Yunnan. The leaves were harvested in 2013 and then carefully selected and pressed in spring 2019 by the Menghai Shenyu factory located in Menghai County. The indication of the factory where the leaves arrive is useful for highlighting that behind this puer there is a specific style or type of research developed by a dedicated group of tea masters to enhance the product’s territorial characteristics. On the palate, Sheng Menghai Spring has a vegetal character enriched by slightly sour notes, similar to those of an underripe citrus fruit. This characteristic is often found in puer teas around one year into ageing and indicates the product’s maturation stage. Despite the flavour characteristic associated with its very young age, the body of the drink is nevertheless soft on the sip, while the aftertaste has a slight dryness caused by the high mineral content of the leaves. Compared with other puer teas, this one does not show any particular sweetness, but only a slight savouriness linked to the vegetal flavours of the infusion. The most interesting aspect of this product is in fact the mineral sensation, which can be felt very intensely at the back of the mouth once the tasting is complete. Place of origin Menghai - Yunnan, China Production After harvesting, the leaves are left to wither in the sun for a certain period of time at the producer’s discretion before undergoing the oxidation-stopping stage, which is very similar to the process used to produce green tea. In this case, the distinctive feature lies in not heating the leaves as much as for green tea, thereby preserving certain enzymes capable of modifying the flavours over time. Once cooked, the leaves are left to rest overnight before completing their drying in the sun. At this stage, the product is called maocha and is ready to be (if desired) pressed in order to obtain the best conditions for transport and ageing. To press the leaves, they are exposed for a few seconds to a powerful jet of steam, making them soft on the outside; they are then gathered in a stocking or sack that gives the product its usually disc-shaped form. To ensure that this structure remains fixed over time, the sack is left for hours under a stone or mechanical press while the leaves lose the residual moisture absorbed from the steam during the previous stage. Preparation We strongly recommend infusing this tea using the traditional Chinese method (Gong Fu Cha) with a gaiwan holding approximately 150 ml. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves can be used for multiple infusions, allowing you to appreciate all the tea’s nuances of flavour. Heat the water to 90°C: briefly rinse the leaves and then make a first infusion of 20 seconds. Keeping the water at the same temperature, you can continue using the same leaves by adding more water and increasing the infusion time by 5 seconds each time (20-25-30…). This tea lasts for 8 infusions. For a more classic preparation in the Western style, we recommend 2.5 grams of leaves in a 200 ml cup with water at 90°C, infusing for 2 and a half minutes. For the best tasting experience, we suggest filtering the tea as soon as the infusion time has elapsed. The infusion times we suggest may be slightly adjusted according to personal taste to obtain a more or less intense flavour. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.