Zhongcha Shu Pu'er

Classification and Origin

pressed cake (饼, bǐng), classic weight — about 357 g; traditionally seven cakes were packed into a stack (七子饼, qīzǐ bǐng).

"Zhongcha" (中茶, Zhōngchá).

China Tea Company, now "Zhongguo chaye gufen youxian gongsi" (中国茶叶股份有限公司), part of the state corporation COFCO (中粮集团, Zhōngliáng jítuán).

Origin: Yunnan province, PRC.

Type: pu'er (普洱茶, pǔ'ěr chá), aged/fermented subtype — shu pu'er (熟茶, shú chá).

Facts

eight characters 中 around a central 茶 became firmly established as the hallmark of China's state tea trade.

in Yunnan cake codes, the first two digits usually denote the recipe year, the third — the leaf grade, the fourth — the factory number (for example, 1 — Kunming, 2 — Menghai).

products under the "Zhongcha" brand include one of the benchmark fermented pressed teas — the 7581 brick from the Kunming factory (brick form, not a cake, but the same origin).

for several decades, all Yunnan export and domestic pu'er production went under this very brand, making it the key reference point in the history of the category.

History and Culture

the China Tea Company (中国茶业公司, Zhōngguó cháyè gōngsī) was established in 1949.

the "Zhongcha" brand with the "eight zhong" logo (八中商标, bā zhōng shāngbiāo) was registered in the early 1950s.

the wet piling technology was developed in the first half of the 1970s (around 1973–1975) at factories in Kunming (昆明茶厂, Kūnmíng cháchǎng) and Menghai (勐海茶厂, Měnghǎi cháchǎng).

Botany and Raw Material

Camellia sinensis var. assamica, in the Chinese tradition — large-leaf variety (大叶种, dà yè zhǒng).

sun-dried green maocha (晒青毛茶, shàiqīng máochá).

large, leathery, with a high content of extractive substances, which is important for long-term fermentation.

Terroir

Climate: subtropical and tropical monsoon, with a pronounced rainy season.

Yunnan province, southwest China.

Xishuangbanna prefecture (西双版纳, Xīshuāngbǎnnà), Pu'er city (普洱, Pǔ'ěr, formerly Simao), Lincang city (临沧, Líncāng), Baoshan (保山, Bǎoshān).

approximately 1000–2000 m above sea level.

Production

plucking (采摘, cǎizhāi), withering (萎凋, wěidiāo), fixation of the green leaf by heating (杀青, shāqīng), rolling (揉捻, róuniǎn), sun-drying (晒青, shàiqīng).

the key operation that distinguishes shu from sheng pu'er.

weighing, steaming, cake moulding, drying.

wrapping paper (棉纸, mián zhǐ), inner ticket (内飞, nèifēi), insert (内票, nèipiào), stack (筒, tǒng).

Organoleptic Profile

dark-brown to reddish-brown, often with golden buds (金毫, jīn háo).

from deep red-brown to dark chestnut; with ageing it becomes clearer and brighter.

aged, "old" (陈香, chén xiāng) — woody-earthy, with notes of dried dates, sometimes camphor (樟香, zhāng xiāng) or warm grain.

Taste: soft, rounded, thick (醇厚, chún hòu), with low bitterness and astringency, a long sweet aftertaste (回甘, huí gān).

Chemical Composition

thearubigins and especially theabrownins (茶褐素, chá hè sù) are formed, imparting a dark red-brown colour to the infusion.

preserved, although perceived softer than in green tea.

give density and a sweetish note to the infusion body.

Polyphenols: during fermentation, the content of catechins (儿茶素, ér chá sù) is noticeably reduced.

Health Notes

shu pu'er is traditionally drunk after a heavy meal as a means of "easing the stomach."

unlike "cooling" raw pu'er, fermented pu'er is considered "warm" and gentle on the stomach.

there are studies on the influence of fermented pu'er on lipid metabolism; however, the results should not be interpreted as a guaranteed therapeutic effect.

Brewing

brought to a boil, 95–100 °C.

approximately 7–8 g of leaf per 100–120 ml (around 1:15).

a quick rinsing pour (洗茶, xǐ chá) once or twice for 5–10 seconds; the infusion is discarded.

first brews 5–10 seconds, then the time is gradually increased; a cake withstands 10–15 or more infusions.

Teaware: gaiwan (盖碗, gàiwǎn) or Yixing clay teapot (紫砂壶, zǐshā hú); a clay teapot softens the infusion well.

Storage

dry (干仓, gān cāng) storage is preferable to wet (湿仓, shī cāng).

moderate temperature, relative humidity approximately 50–70 %, ventilation, absence of direct sunlight.

pu'er easily absorbs extraneous aromas, so it is kept away from spices, cosmetics and the kitchen.

Price and Authenticity

modern shu cakes "Zhongcha" from mass-market ranges cost approximately from several hundred to just over a thousand roubles per 357 g cake, depending on the raw material grade and age.

the price increases manyfold, and old factory cakes are sold as collectors' items.

attention is paid to the print quality of the "eight zhong" logo, the wrapper paper, the presence and appearance of the inner ticket (内飞) and insert, and the correspondence of the article code and recipe to the declared year.