ॐ Tea | bleubuddha

Traditionally, Tibetan use Pu-erh Black Tea. When people say fermented black tea, fermented is not a correct term for tea.

Pu-erh, a Yunnan Province offering, can be made from black or green tea, black or 'Shu Cha' meaning the tea is 'aged', 'oxidized and Mature'. Green or raw tea is called 'Shang Cha' meaning is 'young' not oxidized.

Pu-erh can be in loose form or compressed. Traditionally aged in caves, now the tea is aged in specially designed “caves” or climate controlled rooms where the humidity level is carefully maintained at less than 80%. Moisture is introduced to the dry, finished leaves which are regularly turned and tended. During this “composting” procedure helpful bacteria growth is encouraged. Aging is desirable as is the earthy aroma, fragrance and taste. Once aged the desired amount of time, the leaves are compressed into cakes, disks, buttons, or bird’s nest shapes. The natural aging produces a very mellow, smooth cup. Some aged Pu-erh cakes and disks are highly collectible.

Traditionally, Tibetan tea/butter tea is prepared using water, black tea leaves from a Pu-erh tea brick, butter and salt. Other than butter tea, sweet tea is enjoyed by Tibetans living in the city (Lhasa). Sweet tea was introduced to Lhasa by Tibetan Muslims during the 1930’s. Those who drank sweet tea were seen as people who had traveled and were cosmopolitan, signifying also that India was the source of modern items and ideas.

Tea is drunk all day long, about 30 cups a day. Butter tea is a very warming drink providing lots of caloric energy, and is particularly suited to high altitudes. It also prevents chapped lips. Tea leaves are a good source of vitamins and minerals, which are needed because food is scarce in Tibet.

茶 ༀ Tea

Traditional Tibetan Tea: Pu-erh tea

1999 Aged Bamboo Bark Wrapped Ripe Pu-erh Tea Brick 250g

The old tea brick is composed of low grade tea leaves and stems as shown, as the old tradition dictates: no good tea leave should be wasted in a tea brick. And you might have also observed that it looks loose, you can almost break the tea brick without using a tool.Some identifies this brick with a trace of 'lotus flower' aroma - the most sought after flavor in an old tea, others simply favor its mellowed taste, thanks to its age. If you like to try an aged ripe tea that is more than a decade old, this is your pick.One easy way to tell if a tea is truly aged is that you can never over-brew it - you can brew it for a long time, yet the brewed soup is still clean clear.It brews a great looking/tasteful broth with no 'off' taste, enduring for multiple infusions, the power of an aged tea.

2002 Keyixing Ripen Pu-erh Tea Cake 357g

Yunnan Pu-erh Tea Cake (Keyixing Ripen)The brewed liquor shows a beautiful red wine color and quite pleasing to the eye, not cloudy or hazy but truly wonderful. The aroma had the old familiar and wonderful pu-erh smell, the taste was smooth and lasting, with a silky finish. If anything, the cake was storaged in Kunming in the past and the cake was compressed very tight, so we were not 100% convinced with its age as a 10 years old tea that we knew before. But it's very good nevertheless.

2008 Jinggu Ripe Dragon Egg Pu-erh Tea 100g

(景谷龙蛋熟茶)

Almost flawless, it's absolutely the best ripe tea from Jinggu area, pure, sweet, smooth and round. Talking about the throat feel after drinking this tea, it's amazingly comfortable.

This is a high quality ripe pu-erh tea made by using early spring ancient tree materials from Jinggu. It brews a superb nice tea, very impressive, good even for a person whom never heard of Pu-rh tea. I am running out the admiration words for this tea.

2007 Menghai Ripe Tuocha 250g

This is a high quality ripe pu-erh tuocha from Menghai. Thanks to its proper storage, the color of the tea liquid is thick reddish and has nice aroma.

Brew Parameters Gongfu style: Full boil, 1g per 30ml, 20s rinse, let stand after rinsing for 60s, 1st steep 15s, 2nd steep 10s, 3rd steep 15s, then use judgment. Western style: 1.5g per 2oz full boiling water, 3 minutes

2007 Xiaguan Tibetan Flame Mushroom Tuocha 250g

The legend of Xiaguan Tibetan Flame Mushroom Tuocha started in 1941 when Xiaguan Tea factory was established, the tea was dedicated to Panchen (Governor of Tibet), symboling a tribute tea to a Living buddha. The production was interrupted a few times in history. There was a brick form of Tibetan Flame tea introduced in 1955 and in circulation there after. In 1986 there was a request from Panchen himself, asking for resuming the production of Mushroom shaped tea. In 2003, a Taiwanese company commissioned its version of Tibetan Flame Mushroom Tuocha, it then became an instant hit because of its exceptional quality.

2005 Purple Buds Ancient Tree Ripe Brick

The great tasting ripe tea made with purple buds/leaves. The purple buds Puerh tea is said to be of the higher nutrition values than the most other teas. It is a tea like this one made it worthwhile to go for a thousand miles tea trip.The brewed broth is Burgundy red, the taste is honey sweet and smooth, decent!