Do you need to rinse pu-erh?

It's a good idea. Cover the leaves with boiling water for a few seconds and pour it off. The rinse washes away dust from the compressed leaves and helps them start to open.

What temperature should water be for pu-erh?

203–212°F (95–100°C), a full boil. Compressed pu-erh needs the heat to loosen. Young raw pu-erh is the exception and can taste smoother with water just below boiling.

How long should you steep pu-erh?

3 to 5 minutes in a mug or teapot. Brewed gongfu style, with more leaf in a small pot, start at 10–15 seconds and add a little each round.

What's the difference between raw and ripe pu-erh?

Raw (sheng) pu-erh ages slowly and naturally and starts out bright and bitter. Ripe (shou) is fermented quickly to taste dark and earthy from the start. Ripe is easier to brew and to like straight away.

Does pu-erh have caffeine?

Yes. It's made from the same plant as other teas, and a cup usually has about 30–70 mg, depending on the leaf and how strongly you brew it.

Stored well, it gets better with age rather than going stale. Keep it in a clean, dark place with some airflow and away from strong smells. Damp storage can cause mold, which means it's no longer safe to drink.

How to Brew Pu Erh

Steep time: 3m – 5m
Water temperature: 95°C – 100°C

About Pu Erh

Pu-erh is a fermented tea from Yunnan province in southwest China, named after the town of Pu'er, where it was historically traded. It's made from large-leaf tea plants and comes in two styles: raw (sheng) pu-erh, which ages slowly over years, and ripe (shou) pu-erh, which goes through an accelerated wet-pile fermentation that produces a dark, earthy tea in months. Pu-erh is often pressed into cakes or bricks, and good examples can improve with age.

What it tastes like

Ripe pu-erh is smooth, dark, and earthy, with notes of forest floor, cocoa, and dried dates. Young raw pu-erh is bright and bittersweet; aged raw pu-erh mellows into woody, camphor, and dried-fruit notes.

Step by step

Measure your tea Use about one teaspoon of Pu Erh leaves per 8 oz cup.
Heat the water Bring fresh water to 95°C – 100°C. Water that is too hot will scorch the leaves.
Steep Pour the water over the leaves and steep for 3m – 5m. Start at the shorter time and taste as you go.
Strain and serve Remove the leaves as soon as the steep is done so the tea does not turn bitter.

Brewing tips

Rinse the leaves once and pour the water off before the first steep. It wakes up compressed leaves.
Pry pieces off a cake gently with a pick or a blunt knife, working along the layers to keep the leaves whole.
Pu-erh is a classic match for rich food, which is why it's a staple at dim sum.

Timer

Pu Erh steeps for 3m – 5m — start the clock as you pour.

Pu Erh

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Other ways to brew Pu Erh

In a mug or teapot

Use one to two teaspoons (3–4 g) of loose pu-erh, or break off a piece of cake about that size, per 8 oz (240 ml) cup. Rinse it first: cover the leaves with boiling water, wait a few seconds, and pour it off. Then steep 3–5 minutes with water at 203–212°F (95–100°C).

Gongfu style

Pu-erh shines brewed with lots of leaf and short steeps. Use about 6–8 g in a 4 oz (100–120 ml) gaiwan or clay pot. Rinse once or twice, then steep 10–15 seconds, pouring out completely each time. Add 5–10 seconds per round. Good pu-erh will give ten or more infusions.

Breaking a cake

Slide a pu-erh knife or a blunt butter knife into the edge of the cake, parallel to its surface, and lever gently to lift off layers rather than crumbling the leaves. Small, whole chunks brew more evenly than broken bits.

Thermos brewing

For a long day, put 2–3 g of rinsed ripe pu-erh in a large thermos of boiling water. Ripe pu-erh is forgiving enough to steep for hours, getting dark and strong but staying smooth.

Can you re-steep Pu Erh?

Pu-erh is one of the best teas to re-steep. In a mug, it gives three or four infusions: add a minute or so each round. Brewed gongfu style, it can give ten or more. Raw pu-erh often hits its best around the third to fifth steep, once the compressed leaves have fully opened.

If your Pu Erh doesn't taste right

Earthy, fishy, or musty? New ripe pu-erh can smell like a damp cellar. A rinse or two helps, and so does airing the tea for a few weeks. A strong, sour, moldy smell, or visible fuzzy mold, means the tea has been stored badly and should be thrown out.
Bitter and harsh? Young raw pu-erh is naturally bitter and astringent. Use less leaf and shorter steeps, or let it age. Ripe pu-erh shouldn't be bitter at all; if it is, the steep was much too long.
Thin or weak? Compressed tea needs boiling water and time to open up. Use water at a full boil, break the cake into smaller chunks, and expect the second or third steep to be fuller.

Ways to drink Pu Erh

Raw pu-erh (sheng)

Pressed and left to age naturally, sometimes for decades. Young sheng is bright, bitter, and fruity; aged sheng becomes smoother, sweeter, and more complex. Brew young sheng with slightly cooler water, around 195–203°F (90–95°C).

Ripe pu-erh (shou)

Fermented over a couple of months to imitate the effect of aging. Dark, earthy, and smooth, with notes of cocoa and wet wood. It's the more forgiving of the two and takes boiling water and long steeps.

With dates or chrysanthemum

In Hong Kong, ripe pu-erh is often brewed with dried chrysanthemum flowers to lighten it. A dried red date or a strip of dried tangerine peel adds sweetness.