Brewing Pu’er Tea 101

Something we’re proud of here at Arogya is the fact we’re the only authentic, artisan pu’er tea distributor in the United States.  Wei, who grew up in China, has spent the last 10 years cultivating direct relationships with producers in Yunnan Province, therefore avoiding any middle party between the source and the cup.

How to Brew Pu’er Tea

In addition to being unique for it’s healing and detoxing properties, the process of brewing pu’er tea is slightly different than most teas.

Here’s the 101 on how to brew dark and raw pu’er tea.  For dark pu’er, you’ll want to use boiling hot water.  For raw, use slightly less than boiling hot water.

In our instructions below, you will see three different types of pu’er tea and a special little tool for breaking the tightly packed tea leaves apart. You can also use a fork. The pu’er teas featured are our Dark Pu’er Toucha, part of a Dark Liji Pu’er cake, and a special pu’er tea packed inside an aged tangerine peel.

1. Gather your pu’er tea and tea pick for breaking apart the compressed tea leaves.

2. Use the pick or fork to press into the pu’er and pull upwards to break away a piece.

3. A large coin size piece like this is perfect for a small pot of tea.

4. We’re brewing a larger pot, so we added a little more.

5. The first step for brewing a great cup of pu’er is “rinsing” the leaves. Pour just enough boiling water to cover the leaves and let sit for about 10-15 seconds.

6. Then, pour this first steep into a sink (we used a ball jar as we weren’t next to the sink).

7. Then, pour boiling water over the awakened leaves. For raw pu’er use not quite boiling hot water.

8. Let steep for 5-7 minutes.

9. Remove the brewing basket and leaves from the pot and pour yourself a nice, warm cup of pu’er! You can steep the tea at least 4-7 times more within the same day.

You can learn more about our pu’er tea by reading this blog we recently shared.