#603 2024 Sheng Puerh Pakka (Mature Leaves)

This is a very rare, non-commercial, puerh tea that is made by the Hani ethnic
minority in Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er City, Yunnan. Tea is more than just a beverage for in Hani culture. It represents a connection  to nature, ancient wisdom and a way of life. Tea is appreciated for its energetic properties and use it as a symbolic offering to ancestors during their daily rituals and ceremonies.

Paka tea, like other fermented teas, has a very unique processing… although elements of it overlap with some other fermented teas. For example, Paka tea is similar to Huang Pian or Bancha in that these teas use mature leaves, but in the case of Paka tea the leaves are much more mature with much more pronounced veins.

For starters, they only pick very large leaves from old tea trees on clear days in
November and December. These leaves are then washed and boiled, before they are left to wither, pan-fry (shaqing), steamed to preserve the beneficial catechins, polyphenols and saccharides and lastly packed into bamboo tubes and wrapped with Aarowroot (Kudzu root) vines before they are air-dried.
It’s interesting that the leaves are boiled prior to the kill-green phase, but this is necessary since the leaves are older, tougher and with much more fiber and this helps kill the enzymatic activity.

Older leaves may not have the aromatic intensity of young, tender leaves but they are great for regulating blood sugar and blood pressure. And similar to Gu Shu Huang Pian, this type of Sheng Puerh is very friendly and perfect for people who might not like Sheng Puerh yet since it is so light and sweet.

This tea is quite sweet and refreshing evoking afresh cocoa pulp. It can be brewed in a teapot or shiboridashi, similar to other fermented teas you really get the most out of it when you boil it. You can actually boil a little bit of the vine with it and benefit from its properties as well. Kudzu is great for balancing our intestinal flora and is great for treating headaches among other things.
Check out this great video: Paka

Sheng Puerh is perfect for drinking in Summer and warm weather as it is particularly cooling for the body and in Traditional Chinese Medicine it is hailed for its strong Yin properties. Enjoy!

Origin: Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er City, Yunnan.
Harvest: Spring 2024
Color of liquor: golden
Aroma: apricot jam, ripe fruits, tobacco
Flavor: balanced, herbal notes with very little astringency, strong huigan or long sweet aftertaste.
Temperature: 90-100º c
Steeping time: Best to gently boil about 5 grams in 400ml water for a few minutes.
Shiboridashi or Teapot 100* C. 4gr. 120ml. 1 min; 1,5min; 2min