Video: unwrapping and breaking down the cake
Here is "Zi Juan" (Purple Leaf) from DaYi, a 2018 sheng (raw) puerh in a 200g cake.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2018 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 200g cake · purple leaves · Menghai Tea Factory · 1st batch
- Compression & dry leaf: This tea is sold as a 200g cake.
- Liquor: In the cup it is golden yellow, as is usual for young sheng.
- Taste: Early on you get slight astringency, balanced by a natural sweetness. Once the leaf opens up, expect floral notes in a sweet cup. New details keep appearing in the later steeps.
- Mouthfeel & body: The body is medium and the texture brisk.
- Aftertaste: Sheng like this usually leaves some returning sweetness (hui gan).
- Best for: improving your tea experience. Brew it attentively and follow how it changes; a natural step up for a drinker new to puerh who wants to go further.
Brewing Guide
- Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- How to brew:
- Add around 5g of tea for every 100ml.
- Give the leaves one quick rinse — cover with boiling water for about 5 seconds and discard. Then put the lid on and leave the leaves to open up for about 10 minutes.
- Start with 10–15 second steeps, lengthening by about 5 seconds each round.
- Pour the liquor into a sharing pitcher.
- Serve and resteep — sheng puerh goes many rounds.
- Think of this as a starting point rather than a rigid method. Try pouring high or low, fast or slow, and adapt to the season until it suits you. Brewing one tea at its best in any year, season, weather or place is a skill built over time — and that is the real goal.
Storage
Keep it in a ventilated, cool, dry spot, shielded from sunlight and strong odors (cooking spices, cigarette smoke). If you plan to age it long-term, paper or clay containers breathe better than airtight plastic.
A Note on Appearance
Not all cakes develop these — the chances simply rise with longer storage.
- Small dark specks: naturally stored puerh can develop tiny dark specks on its wrapper or edges. They are harmless and brush off easily before brewing.
- Tea oil spots: yellowish spotting can occur from natural tea oils. This is not a flaw.
- Torn wrapper: minor tears or holes in the cotton wrapper sometimes happen in storage and transit. The tea itself is unaffected.
