Pu-erh tea is versatile and can be brewed in several ways, but the traditional gongfu style is highly recommended as it brings out the complex flavors through multiple short infusions. Pu-erh tolerates boiling water well and often improves with a quick rinse.
Step 1:
Preparing the Leaves (Especially for Compressed Cakes)
If your pu-erh is loose-leaf, skip this. For cakes, bricks, or tuocha, gently break off pieces using a pu-erh knife (or pick). Insert the knife parallel to the layers to flake off leaves without crushing them—aim for 5–10g for a session.
Breaking a pu-erh cake with a tea knife.
Step 2:
Gongfu Style (Best for Flavor Depth)
This uses a small teapot (like a Yixing clay pot) or gaiwan (lidded bowl), allowing 8–15+ infusions from the same leaves.
Typical gongfu setups with gaiwan or teapot.
Steps:
- Warm your brewing vessel and cups with boiling water.
- Add leaves (about 1g per 15–20ml of vessel volume—e.g., 5–8g in a 100ml gaiwan).
- Pour boiling water over the leaves, wait 5–10 seconds, then discard the liquid. This "awakens" the leaves, removes dust, and reduces bitterness (especially important for ripe/shou pu-erh).
- Rinsing the leaves in a gaiwan.
- Fill with boiling water (100°C/212°F), steep 10–20 seconds, then pour into a fairness pitcher or directly into cups.
- Increase steep time gradually (e.g., +5–10 seconds each). Young raw/sheng may need shorter steeps initially to avoid astringency; ripe/shou can handle longer.
Easier Alternatives
- Grandpa Style (Casual, on-the-go): Put a few grams of loose pu-erh in a tall glass or thermos, add hot water, and sip as it infuses. Top up with water throughout the day—the leaves float or sink.
- Western Style (Mug or large teapot): 3–5g leaves per 250ml cup, rinse quickly, steep 2–4 minutes with boiling water. Good for 2–3 re-steeps.
Tips: Use filtered water if possible. Ripe pu-erh is more forgiving for beginners; raw can be stronger. Experiment to find your preferred strength—pu-erh rewards patience and practice!
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