Shou Puerh Bamboo is a traditional method that the Dao and H’mong people of northern Vietnam use to preserve tea throughout the winter. This type of fermented tea is considered medicinal, especially for its digestive properties. The leaves for this tea come from an ancient Wild Shan tea tree forest in Cao Bo, Ha Giang, Vietnam. The tea itself was plucked as one bud and one or two leaves, in Spring 2017 but compressed in Bamboo in 2018 and aged in Vietnam until Spring, 2020.
This tea is fermented differently than is commonplace in Yunnan today. The leaves are rolled and then fermented for at least 3-4 months using the natural microorganisms present rather than adding any microbial starter. These microorganisms develop naturally because of the night air humidity. Before the Lunar New Year the tea is then steamed and stuffed into the bamboo tubes and burned on the fire to dry.
This is a traditional tea made by ethnic minorities who after firing put them on a hanging rack in their kitchen where the tea continues to ferment in the tube for at least a year. The kitchens are traditional style where they use a fire on the ground that is covered with soot. This keeps the humidity and light is also relatively stable in this environment which lends a particular character to the tea. These ethnic minorities store the tea in the kitchen and drink it everyday and whenever there are important family events.
You can enjoy this tea now as you won't find a "wo dui" (fermentation flavor). You’ll find it to be deep and rich while handling many infusions. It's a perfect everyday puerh tea for drinking throughout the cold season.
*** This tea comes pressed in a bamboo tube and it is impossible to know the exact weight of the dry tea leaves inside until it is opened. Usually a tube contains 125-200grams but you may get more or less than that.
