Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

What would be a good pu-erh brand to try for those unfamiliar with it.
Although I have not liked most Pu-erh I have tried. On the not liked
list was the Lapsang from Twinnings, the Foojoy bagged, and various
cheap cakes from the Asian market. Does that mean I really should not
bother?
Is there a mild brand/version that is easily available at most Asian
markets (I am in San Diego if that means anything) that I could look
for. I know this has probably been addressed, but the sheer amount of
info on Pu-erh is overwhelming.
Thank you!

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

I wish I felt that the "sheer amount of info on Pu-erh" was
overwhelming!
BTW, lapsang is not a pu-erh.
I guess my first question is: which kind of pu-erh do you want to try,
cooked or raw? Cooked pu-erh is more common at Asian markets; it's
unlikely you'd find raw pu-erh at your asian market. The "Golden Needle
White Lotus" cake, available on eBay and at houdeasianart.com, is
rather tasty cooked cake. The "yiwu zhengshan" from teaspring is very
mild for a raw cake. When looking for a young cake, though, look for
something with large leaves, as the flavor tends to be milder. I think
both houde and eBay also have loose-leaf raw pu-erh.

But as for finding a raw cake in your asian market, it's likely they'd
only have the green-boxed raw "tuocha" from xiaguan factory, which is
rather bitter and harsh if not brewed properly.

If $ is an issue, take advantage of sellers like houde and
jingteashop.com, who offer samples so you can try teas without making
an investment. Every time I brew a sample form them, I thank them in my
head for offering such a useful service.

Also, I don't work for them. I'm just thankful.

see http://puerh_tea.livejournal.com for reviews of cakes you might be
interested in. click on "puerh reviews" at the top of the page to see
them sorted by factory, year, etc.

~j


bloehard wrote:
> What would be a good pu-erh brand to try for those unfamiliar with it.
> Although I have not liked most Pu-erh I have tried. On the not liked
> list was the Lapsang from Twinnings, the Foojoy bagged, and various
> cheap cakes from the Asian market. Does that mean I really should not
> bother?
> Is there a mild brand/version that is easily available at most Asian
> markets (I am in San Diego if that means anything) that I could look
> for. I know this has probably been addressed, but the sheer amount of
> info on Pu-erh is overwhelming.
> Thank you!

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

In the "little saigon" area of El Cajon Blvd there are many tiny asian
markets. Go in one or two and look for a cylindrical tea container about
the size of your fist that says "Yunnan" somewhere on it. In it you will
find a decent cooked pu cake for less than $2 which will last you weeks if
not months.

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

Space Cowboy wrote:
> In my Chinatown you can still buy the 2003 Xiaguan QiZi shu bundles for
> $18. They don't seem to run out so I don't buy and hoard anymore. It
> does taste different than the CNNP Xiaguan 100g shu tuocha for a $1.
> What I've learned from both is letting them air out. The tuocha paper
> wrapper is heavy so the puer can't breath. The QiZi is tissue wrappers
> and breathes better when the shell is loosened. I've come to
> appreciate the rancid taste in more recent shu versus the coffee taste
> of something more mature. I'll take rancid over coffee anyday. I
> remember in my early days when struggling with cooked puer Lew
> recommended golden melon which I liked right away. I'd say find
> something that talks about the quality of the bud if you don't like
> what you find in Chinatown.
>

New or not, the tea should not have any rancid flavor at all. If it
does, it's a sign of poor storage and shouldn't be drank anyway.

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

I mean rancid as in leathery,ashy,fishy,moldy as me and others try to
describe the first time taste on something most likely bought in
Chinatown which is probably a Xiaguan product. That taste I discovered
simply comes from leaf grade and is suppose to ameliorate over time
with help from the yeast and proper storage supposedly. Grading in
China refers to 'taste' which seems to be directly proportional to
price. I like a rancid shu with a meal but like the higher grades by
themselves. I think you are referring to wet storage puer which I've
seen described as spoiled tasting.

Jim

PS I think the 2003 Xiaguan Qizi is a grade 5 or 6 close to the bottom
of the scale. It is like drinking beer. You develop a taste and then
a craving. The last time I checked on TaoBao a single beeng is going
for $15.

Mydnight wrote:
> Space Cowboy wrote:
> > In my Chinatown you can still buy the 2003 Xiaguan QiZi shu bundles for
> > $18. They don't seem to run out so I don't buy and hoard anymore. It
> > does taste different than the CNNP Xiaguan 100g shu tuocha for a $1.
> > What I've learned from both is letting them air out. The tuocha paper
> > wrapper is heavy so the puer can't breath. The QiZi is tissue wrappers
> > and breathes better when the shell is loosened. I've come to
> > appreciate the rancid taste in more recent shu versus the coffee taste
> > of something more mature. I'll take rancid over coffee anyday. I
> > remember in my early days when struggling with cooked puer Lew
> > recommended golden melon which I liked right away. I'd say find
> > something that talks about the quality of the bud if you don't like
> > what you find in Chinatown.
> >
>
> New or not, the tea should not have any rancid flavor at all. If it
> does, it's a sign of poor storage and shouldn't be drank anyway.

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

> I mean rancid as in leathery,ashy,fishy,moldy as me and others try to
> describe the first time taste on something most likely bought in
> Chinatown which is probably a Xiaguan product.

I'm still going to stick to my guns here and assert that if you have
ashy, leathery, fishy, or moldy tea; it's something wrong with the
storage and not neccessarily the leaf quality. I've had many a sheng
or shu that were totally junk quality, but I've never encountered any
fishy tasting pu before.

>That taste I discovered
> simply comes from leaf grade and is suppose to ameliorate over time
> with help from the yeast and proper storage supposedly. Grading in
> China refers to 'taste' which seems to be directly proportional to
> price. I like a rancid shu with a meal but like the higher grades by
> themselves. I think you are referring to wet storage puer which I've
> seen described as spoiled tasting.

You are about half right. Pricing in China does have a lot to do with
taste, but it has a lot to do with leaf quality too; it sorta
corresponds to taste. Depending on which tea you are talking about,
there are different standards to judge grade by. Most teas that are
higher in quality have full, soft leaves and not chopped or broken
pieces of leaf. Even with pu'er, leaf quality is important. For
instance, the 1995 Menghai Fang Cha that I have has pretty decent
looking leaves if you know how to cut a portion off correctly.

Saying that, I've also had some really crumby looking leaves in my tea
and the taste was acceptable. Grading is a very difficult process in
China because the standards aren't as set like as in India.


> Jim
>
> PS I think the 2003 Xiaguan Qizi is a grade 5 or 6 close to the bottom
> of the scale. It is like drinking beer. You develop a taste and then
> a craving. The last time I checked on TaoBao a single beeng is going
> for $15.
>
> Mydnight wrote:
> > Space Cowboy wrote:
> > > In my Chinatown you can still buy the 2003 Xiaguan QiZi shu bundles for
> > > $18. They don't seem to run out so I don't buy and hoard anymore. It
> > > does taste different than the CNNP Xiaguan 100g shu tuocha for a $1.
> > > What I've learned from both is letting them air out. The tuocha paper
> > > wrapper is heavy so the puer can't breath. The QiZi is tissue wrappers
> > > and breathes better when the shell is loosened. I've come to
> > > appreciate the rancid taste in more recent shu versus the coffee taste
> > > of something more mature. I'll take rancid over coffee anyday. I
> > > remember in my early days when struggling with cooked puer Lew
> > > recommended golden melon which I liked right away. I'd say find
> > > something that talks about the quality of the bud if you don't like
> > > what you find in Chinatown.
> > >
> >
> > New or not, the tea should not have any rancid flavor at all. If it
> > does, it's a sign of poor storage and shouldn't be drank anyway.

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

To tell the truth I can't taste these flavors anymore in the sense I
call them objectionable. But I remember it was my first impressions
similar to others. The Chinese dealers I order from sell the
first,top,king grades which seem to relate to taste and not leaf size
perse.

Jim

PS Once I discovered the same kind of fishy taste in yellow teas I
became a lot less critical of lesser grade shu.

Mydnight wrote:
> > I mean rancid as in leathery,ashy,fishy,moldy as me and others try to
> > describe the first time taste on something most likely bought in
> > Chinatown which is probably a Xiaguan product.
>
> I'm still going to stick to my guns here and assert that if you have
> ashy, leathery, fishy, or moldy tea; it's something wrong with the
> storage and not neccessarily the leaf quality. I've had many a sheng
> or shu that were totally junk quality, but I've never encountered any
> fishy tasting pu before.

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

"Mydnight" > writes:

> > I mean rancid as in leathery,ashy,fishy,moldy as me and others try to
> > describe the first time taste on something most likely bought in
> > Chinatown which is probably a Xiaguan product.
>
> I'm still going to stick to my guns here and assert that if you have
> ashy, leathery, fishy, or moldy tea; it's something wrong with the
> storage and not neccessarily the leaf quality.

I rise to defend ash. In a young sheng, a certain amount of ash, as
in the taste and aroma of cigar ash, isn't necessarily a bad thing.
It may go away in a year or two. I've heard it said that an ashy note
in a new sheng is a promise of good taste once the tea has aged, but
honestly, I've never held onto a cake or brick or tuo for ten years.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

Lewis 6/13/06

[OP}
>>> I mean rancid as in leathery,ashy,fishy,moldy as me and others try to
>>> describe the first time taste on something most likely bought in
>>> Chinatown which is probably a Xiaguan product.

[Mydnight, I think]
>> I'm still going to stick to my guns here and assert that if you have
>> ashy, leathery, fishy, or moldy tea; it's something wrong with the
>> storage and not neccessarily the leaf quality.

[Lew]
> I rise to defend ash. In a young sheng, a certain amount of ash, as
> in the taste and aroma of cigar ash, isn't necessarily a bad thing.
> It may go away in a year or two. I've heard it said that an ashy note
> in a new sheng is a promise of good taste once the tea has aged, but
> honestly, I've never held onto a cake or brick or tuo for ten years.

[Michael]
Nowhere in your paragraph do you claim to like the taste, I note.
It would be very fun to hop into our way-back machines so that we
could discover whither ash leads in an aged tea and whither bitter.

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

> [Michael]
> Nowhere in your paragraph do you claim to like the taste, I note.
> It would be very fun to hop into our way-back machines so that we
> could discover whither ash leads in an aged tea and whither bitter.

I keep trying to remember if I've drank sheng that tasted like ashes
and I simply cannot. Most of the brand new sheng that I brew usually
tastes grassy, a little bitter, and kinda like green tea. I did pick
up some loose sheng that has a lingering honey aftertaste that is
pretty excellent; now THAT, I think, will be pretty awesome in 10
years.

If ya'll want samples of it, toss me an email. It's quite interesting.

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

I would go with a 1st or 3rd grade loose Pu-Erh from Ten Ren to get
your palate started. I know several people who have been turned off
Pu-Erh because they started out with pretty bad quality stuff to begin
with. Pu-Erh is, afterall, more an acquired taste so start safe.

A
http://blog.ateava.com/



bloehard wrote:
> What would be a good pu-erh brand to try for those unfamiliar with it.
> Although I have not liked most Pu-erh I have tried. On the not liked
> list was the Lapsang from Twinnings, the Foojoy bagged, and various
> cheap cakes from the Asian market. Does that mean I really should not
> bother?
> Is there a mild brand/version that is easily available at most Asian
> markets (I am in San Diego if that means anything) that I could look
> for. I know this has probably been addressed, but the sheer amount of
> info on Pu-erh is overwhelming.
> Thank you!

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

I don't find much comparison between loose and compressed pu even
accounting for grade. For the timid start with the sheng. For the shu
cut your tastebuds on Wuyi DaHongPao or Rock tea. The loose stuff is
for the boys the compressed for the guys. For the opposite sex
substitute gals and ladies. I think compressed pu in general is sink
or swim.

Jim

PS: My Chinese vendor says his artisan flower teas are all natural. I
just tried one called "Profusion of Colors". It has a heavy Yin Hao
Jasmine taste with a Carnation fit for the prom which I could faintly
taste with the last infusion. I'll let it dry for a small decoration.

Desslock wrote:
> I would go with a 1st or 3rd grade loose Pu-Erh from Ten Ren to get
> your palate started. I know several people who have been turned off
> Pu-Erh because they started out with pretty bad quality stuff to begin
> with. Pu-Erh is, afterall, more an acquired taste so start safe.
>
> A
> http://blog.ateava.com/
>
>
>
> bloehard wrote:
> > What would be a good pu-erh brand to try for those unfamiliar with it.
> > Although I have not liked most Pu-erh I have tried. On the not liked
> > list was the Lapsang from Twinnings, the Foojoy bagged, and various
> > cheap cakes from the Asian market. Does that mean I really should not
> > bother?
> > Is there a mild brand/version that is easily available at most Asian
> > markets (I am in San Diego if that means anything) that I could look
> > for. I know this has probably been addressed, but the sheer amount of
> > info on Pu-erh is overwhelming.
> > Thank you!

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

I like the Pu Erh capsules the most. If you are looking for some, try

http://www.naturalweightlossprogram.co.uk

You're welcome


Space Cowboy wrote:
> I don't find much comparison between loose and compressed pu even
> accounting for grade. For the timid start with the sheng. For the shu
> cut your tastebuds on Wuyi DaHongPao or Rock tea. The loose stuff is
> for the boys the compressed for the guys. For the opposite sex
> substitute gals and ladies. I think compressed pu in general is sink
> or swim.
>
> Jim
>
> PS: My Chinese vendor says his artisan flower teas are all natural. I
> just tried one called "Profusion of Colors". It has a heavy Yin Hao
> Jasmine taste with a Carnation fit for the prom which I could faintly
> taste with the last infusion. I'll let it dry for a small decoration.
>
> Desslock wrote:
> > I would go with a 1st or 3rd grade loose Pu-Erh from Ten Ren to get
> > your palate started. I know several people who have been turned off
> > Pu-Erh because they started out with pretty bad quality stuff to begin
> > with. Pu-Erh is, afterall, more an acquired taste so start safe.
> >
> > A
> > http://blog.ateava.com/
> >
> >
> >
> > bloehard wrote:
> > > What would be a good pu-erh brand to try for those unfamiliar with it.
> > > Although I have not liked most Pu-erh I have tried. On the not liked
> > > list was the Lapsang from Twinnings, the Foojoy bagged, and various
> > > cheap cakes from the Asian market. Does that mean I really should not
> > > bother?
> > > Is there a mild brand/version that is easily available at most Asian
> > > markets (I am in San Diego if that means anything) that I could look
> > > for. I know this has probably been addressed, but the sheer amount of
> > > info on Pu-erh is overwhelming.
> > > Thank you!

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

wrote:
> I like the Pu Erh capsules the most. If you are looking for some, try
>
> http://www.naturalweightlossprogram.co.uk
>
> You're welcome

Wow, how terribly insightful * * you wouldn't have any
alterior motives or connection to the weightloss website quoted, would
you? Jeez, you would think spammers would at least try to hide the fact
that they are a dirtbag. Ugh.

You're welcome

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

Dominic T. wrote:
> wrote:
> > I like the Pu Erh capsules the most. If you are looking for some, try
> >
> > http://www.naturalweightlossprogram.co.uk
> >
> > You're welcome
>
> Wow, how terribly insightful * * you wouldn't have any
> alterior motives or connection to the weightloss website quoted, would
> you? Jeez, you would think spammers would at least try to hide the fact
> that they are a dirtbag. Ugh.
>
> You're welcome

Actually I quite like Pu Erh capsules - the 1995 Yi Wu Wild Tree is
particularly nice in pill form.

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

Alex wrote:
> Actually I quite like Pu Erh capsules - the 1995 Yi Wu Wild Tree is
> particularly nice in pill form.

I just can never seem to get the water temp. and brewing time right for
those capsules though...

Starter Pu-erh cake to try?
 

Michael Plant wrote:
> 7/19/06
>
>
> >
> > Dominic T. wrote:
> >> wrote:
> >>> I like the Pu Erh capsules the most. If you are looking for some, try
> >>>
> >>> http://www.naturalweightlossprogram.co.uk
> >>>
> >>> You're welcome
> >>
> >> Wow, how terribly insightful * * you wouldn't have any
> >> alterior motives or connection to the weightloss website quoted, would
> >> you? Jeez, you would think spammers would at least try to hide the fact
> >> that they are a dirtbag. Ugh.
> >>
> >> You're welcome
> >
> > Actually I quite like Pu Erh capsules - the 1995 Yi Wu Wild Tree is
> > particularly nice in pill form.
>
> I'm proud of you, Alex. You're a man of conviction.
> Just think: I'll never have to actually taste a Yi Wu
> wild Tree tea again, and I get all the health benefits
> myth makers can devise. Cool!
>
> Speaking of which, and not that you need it, but
> the weather here in NYC this morning at 4:00 am
> as I trundled my way to work was actually pleasant.
> There's a word we haven't heard ascribed to weather
> here in many a day.
>
> Michael

Funny you should mention it. I thought the same thing this morning.
It was eerily cool and breezy.

A friend of a friend called me the other night for China travel advice,
and told me that everyone told her to avoid China in August. Last
August I was in Chongqing and the weather was exactly the same as it
was in New York yesterday, so I told her she has nothing to fear.