Ethnic Tea Art

Pu-erh tea's charm lies not only in its wonderful change of taste and its health benefits, but also in the ancient caravan tea route and the glamorous ethnic lifestyles in the tea-producing areas in Yunnan.
In the Pu-erh tea-producing areas live many ethnic groups, among whom the Hani, Dai, Blang and Yi have been tea farmers and producers for generations. Different ethnic groups follow different tea-making customs, and the most popular include baking the tea, dressing the cold tea with sauce and making instant thirst-quenching tea in bamboo tubes.
The ethnic groups in the tea producing areas mainly drink sun-baked green crude tea, by brewing it in boiling water directly, brewing it after baking the tea in the pottery jar or boiling it in pottery teapots.
They also use handy materials, such as plant tea bag for baked tea or the bamboo cup for boiled tea. There is Pu-erh tea wine made of tea liquid mixed with rice wine. In addition to drinking the tea, there are many other ways of enjoying Pu-erh tea. Jinuo people make interesting food preparations with tea and dress cold tea leaves with sauce and the Blang make bamboo tube acid tea, all of which are unique for they preserve the primitive and ancient tea eating habits.
People in Simao and Dali like to drink pure or flavored baked tea made of the local green tea, bowl-shaped tea or tea cakes. While in northwest Yunnan and Tibet, one or more additional materials, such as butter (or other types of grease), milk, salt or even rice wine and roasted barley flour are added to the tea liquid to vary the flavor.

Making Tea With Crab Pincers Tea Liquid

Making the processed Pu-erh tea with Crab Pincers tea liquid can produce a special flavor. The processed Pu-erh gives out a deep fragrance while the Crab Pincers gives out a fresh one. Mixing the two brings out a unique strong and mellow taste.

Pre-brewing Preparations
Tea ware: Set of glass tea ware, purple-clay Yixing tea cups, electric tea kettle, strainer, glass fairness cup, tea doth.
Water: Fill sufficient water in the electric tea kettle and bring to boil.
Tea leaves: Brewed loose Pu-erh tea (processed tea).

Brewing:
1. Boil crab pincers: Boil crab pincers in the glass tea kettle.
2. Boil crab pincers: Boil them till they are bubbling in the water.
3. Prepare tea: Pick up the teapot.
4. Pour the tea liquid: Pour the crab pincers tea liquid into the purple-clay teapot.
5. Pour the tea liquid: Pour the tea liquid into the fairness cup through the strainer.
6. Distribute the tea: Distribute the tea liquid into the teacups.
7. Clean tea stains: Use the tea cloth to clean tea stains while distributing the tea liquid.
The crab pincers tea liquid can also be used to brew long-stored tea. The taste becomes mellower and more fragrant.

Making Old Paka Tea

"Old paka," meaning "old leaves" is a special kind of Pu-erh tea commonly used by the ethnic minorities in Yunnan. It is seldom sold in the market. The correct way to enjoy its fragrance is by boiling the tea liquid.

Pre-brewing Preparations
Tea ware: Set of glass tea sets, electric tea kettle, tea tongs, bamboo teacups, etc.
Water: Fill the electric tea kettle with sufficient water and bring to boil.
Tea leaves: Old paka.

Brewing:
1. Warm the kettle: Warm and wash the glass kettle with boiling water.
2. Drain the water: Drain the water from the glass kettle into the water bowl.
3. Adding tea leaves: Use tongs to add the old paka into the kettle.
4. Pour water: Fill the kettle up to 2/3 of its volume.
5. Light the stove: Light the fuel (candle or alcohol) and place the glass kettle on the stove.
6. Boil the tea: Bring it to boil.
7. Boil the tea: Once the tea liquid is boiling remove the kettle from the fire.
8. Smell the fragrance: Remove the lid and inhale the fragrance of old paka.
9. Distribute the tea liquid: Pour the boded old paka tea liquid into the bamboo teacup.
10. Serve the tea: Serve the tea with both hands to the guests.
Old paka is a special type of tea in the Pu-erh tea family. Its details will be introduced later.
While boiling old paka, take out the leaves after you can smell the fragrance. The water will change color. Bamboo cups are not as good heat conductors as pottery and ceramic cups, so they should be cleaned beforehand and do not have to be warmed before pouring the tea.

Making “Crab Pincers” Tea

"Crab pincers" is a kind of parasite growing on the several-hundred-year-old ancient arbor tea trees. Although not really Pu-erh tea, it is closely related to Pu-erh tea, having its own characteristics.

Pre-brewing Preparations
Tea ware: Set of pottery tea ware, strainer, stainless steel tea cups, fairness cup, water bowl, etc.
Water: Fill the electric tea kettle with sufficient water and bring to boil.
Tea leaves: Crab pincers.

Brewing:
1. Warm the kettle: Pour the boiling water into the pottery kettle.
2. Warm the fairness cup: Pour the water from the pottery kettle into the fairness cup.
3. Warm the teacups: Pour the water from the fairness cup into the teacups.
4. Drain the water Drain the water from the teacups into the water bowl.
5. Takeout the "tea" (crab pincer): Take out an adequate amount of crab pincers.
6. Adding "tea leaves" in: Add the crab pincers into the kettle.
7. Soak "tea leaves": Pour boiling water into the pottery tea kettle to soak the crab pincers.
8. Drain the water out: Drain the water into the water bowl.
9. Pour the water: Pour the boiling water into the kettle.
10. Boil the "tea": Place the kettle over a lit stove.
11. Make tea: Bring the tea liquid to boil.
12. Pour the tea liquid: Place the strainer on the fairness cup and pour the tea liquid into the mug.
13. Distribute the tea: Divide the tea liquid from the mug and into the teacups equally.
14. Serve the tea: The tea liquid of crab pincers is sweet and refreshing with a light medicinal fragrance.

Making Processed Pu-erh Tea (Loose Tea)

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When making artificially fermented processed tea, the most important point is the appropriate time for pouring water in and draining it out.
After putting in adequate tea leaves, slowly pour the hot water. Quickly drain out the tea liquid so that it tastes smooth and mellow.

Preparations
Tea ware: Electric tea kettle, cast iron teapots, fairness cup, strainer, teacup, tea holder, tea funnel, etc.
Water: Pour enough water into the electric tea kettle and bring to boil.
Tea leaves: Processed Pu-erh tea (loose tea).

Brewing:
1. Taking out the tea leaves: Use the small tea holder to take out loose tea from the pottery tea container. Place it in the big tea holder.
2. Observe the tea leaves: Loose tea leaves have not been compressed or loosened, so it is unbroken.
3. Warm the teapot: Pour boiling water in the teapot.
4. Warm the fairness cup: Pour the water from the teapot into the fairness cup.
5. Warm the teacups: Warm the teacups with the hot water from the mug.
6. Drain water: Drain the water from the teacups into the water bowl.
7. Adding tea leaves: Place the tea funnel on the mouth of the teapot and put adequate leaves.
8. Soaking leaves: Pour boiling water in the teapot to soak the leaves.
9. Skim the foam: Skim the foam from the mouth of the teapot and replace the lid.
10. Drain water: Drain the water quickly into the water bowl.
11. Brew the tea: Pour the boiling water in along the inside of the teapot and replace the lid.
12. Pouring the tea liquid: Pour the hot tea liquid quickly into the fairness cup through the strainer.
13. Empty the teapot: Pour out all the tea liquid from the teapot.
14. Distribute the tea: Pour the tea liquid from the mug into the tea cups evenly.
15. Serve the tea: Serve the tea with both hands to the guests.
Wash the processed tea and pour the tea liquid out quickly. Slowness will make the tea bitter and the color dark. Boiling water should be slowly poured into the teapot along its inside to avoid stirring the leaves too much so that several brews of the tea liquid can be of similar taste, color and strength.

Making Raw Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh tea that has been preserved for few years is close to green tea in its properties and color. Its taste is sweet tinged with a little bitterness. Its fragrance is pure and mild and lingers even after the tea is finished. While brewing raw tea, lower the water temperature. Serve immediately after pouring to avoid scorching the leaves and tainting the tea liquid with that smell.

Pre-brewing Preparations
Tea ware: Electric tea kettle, covered tea bowl, fairness cup, vintage tea cups, tea holder, strainer, water bowl, Pu-erh knife, teaspoon, etc.
Water: Pour enough water in the electric tea kettle and bring to boil.
Tea leaves: Raw Pu-erh tea.

Brewing:
1. Prize the tea: Use tea knife to prize adequate raw tea gently without grounding the leaves.
2. Prepare tea leaves: Put the leaves in the tea holder for later use.
3. Warm the covered tea bowl: Pour boiling water in the tea bowl.
4. Warm the fairness cup: Pour the water from the covered tea bowl into the fairness cup.
5. Warm the strainer: Warm the strainer with the hot water from the fairness cup.
6. Warm the teacups: Clean and warm the teacups with the hot water from the mug.
7. Drain water: Drain the water from the teacups into the water bowl.
8. Put leaves: Put the leaves in the covered tea bowl.
9. Soak leaves: Pour boiling water into the covered tea bowl as shown.
10. Drain water: Drain the water quickly into the water bowl.
11. Make tea: pour boiling water into the covered tea bowl along its inside.
12. Cover the tea bowl: Replace the lid.
13. Place the strainer: While leaves are brewing, place the strainer on the fairness cup.
14. Pour the tea liquid: Pour the hot tea liquid into the fairness cup.
15. Empty the tea liquid: Empty the tea liquid in the covered tea bowl.
16. Distribute the tea: Fill the tea cups up to 70%.
17. Clean the tea stains: Clean the fairness cup after every use.
18. Appreciate the tea: Invite guests to appreciate the tea in the tea cups.

Things to remember while making tea:
First, when loosening the tea cake, start from the relatively loose part and loosen the cake along the striations in the tea leaves to break fewer leaves.
Secondly, use the strainer to make the tea liquid brighter and cleaner by filtering out the grounds of compressed tea.
Third, be sure to pour all the tea liquid out and avoid soaking of the leaves for long to avoid affecting the flavor of the next brew of tea. Open the lid to dissipate the heat.

Pu-erh Tea & City Dweller

For hundreds of years, Pu-erh tea has been the daily necessity for and treasured as life by the Tibetans. In the mid-Qing Dynasty when Pu-erh tea became the imperial tribute, it was sought after by senior government officials and rich people.
Today in the 21st century, Pu-erh tea has become part of modem life.
The great increase in material wealth, the fast pace of living and the unprecedented pressure from work has left modem city dwellers in a state of health featuring over-nutrition, lack of exercise and mental stress. To combat ailments arising from this lifestyle, people have turned to mild, healthy and green food and drink. Pu-erh tea is just such a kind of refreshing drink. Therefore, there is a craze for Pu-erh tea across China. Among all kinds of tea, Pu-erh tea, both in terms of its growth environment and health-preserving effect, is fitting for modem people. Its effect in lowering cholestrol and regulating digestion is a favorite topic among its fans.
Pu-erh tea has quickly become synonymous with fashion, nature and health.
Today, whether it is a party among relatives or friends, or a business meeting, a sharing of Pu-erh tea with its fragrance and sweetness in cool cups brings great pleasure to the body and mind.
Pu-erh tea has already entrenched itself in people s heart and become a new force on the tea markets.