TeaSource Puer Tea<2013 KuZaZa Ripe (Shu) Puer Tea

The roots of ripe puer – leathery aromatics, thick and textured liquor, an eternally earthy cup. Survives many steeps and never gives an edge.

Shu (“ripe”) puer starts out as sheng (“raw”) puer, but then goes through a deliberate “post fermentation” process to mimic and accelerate the kind of changes that happen in sheng puer from a period of many years to six weeks. Shu Puer can be aged (though not necessary) over the course of many years to improve upon its flavor profile. This lot was made in 2013 by Mr. Du Yong Gang. The raw leaf material came from the Menghai region of Yunnan at a lofty altitude of over 5,400 ft!

This tea gets its name from the “KuZaZa” festival celebrated by the Hani people, one of the main ethnicities residing in Menghai. The kuzaza is a giant see-saw mill and one legend has it that a long time ago the sun and moon would not come up for days, making the Hani people suffer (this wasn’t good for the tea plants either). A Hani brother and sister (A Lang and A Ang) built a giant kuzaza and made it spin so fast that it flung them into outer space, where they convinced the sun and the moon to return. A Lang and A Ang were never able to come back to earth, so this festival is celebrated at the lunar new year to remember them. During the festival, games are played on large kuzazas built for the occasion. There are other stories about the origins of the KuZaZa Festival, some including human sacrifice, but we prefer the one about playing on the giant see-saw.

Ingredients: puer tea

Steeping Instructions

3 grams | 8 oz water | 205°F | Steep 8 min. 

Traditional Steeping

5 grams | 6 oz water | 205°F | Rinse 5 sec. | Steep 10-20 sec.

Number of Cups

2 oz makes 19 cups, 4 oz makes 38 cups, 1 lb makes 151 cups