Ripe vs Raw Pu-erh Tea: The Differences Between Sheng and Shou Puer

There are two types of Pu-erh tea: Sheng Puer (Raw Pu-erh) and Shu Puer (Ripe Pu-erh). Let's see what is the difference between the two.
• pathofcha.com/...
- Our selection of pu-erh teas (both ripe and raw) and hei cha
• pathofcha.com/...
- Our article on the subject

[@PathofCha]

Sign up for our newsletter: rb.gy/czfrk4 Our collection of pu-erh teas and hei cha: pathofcha.com/collections/pu-erh-teas Our articles on pu-erh: pathofcha.com/blogs/all-about-tea/tagged/pu-erh The difference between raw and ripe pu-erhs: pathofcha.com/blogs/all-about-tea/the-differences-between-raw-and-ripe-pu-erh-teas Pu-erh tea caffeine content: pathofcha.com/blogs/all-about-tea/a-deeper-look-into-pu-erh-tea-caffeine-content

[@greg1158]

The shu pe-erh I bought has a smell of a horse stall, a clean horse stall :D Very interesting as how this note you can taste also at the first brew and then goes away with the 2nd and 3rd brew and turns into stweetness.

[@PathofCha]

horse stall is an interesting one! I'd like to try it:))

[@greg1158]

@@PathofCha actually it's a cheap 100g cake from e-bay, and it says on it: Yun Nan Qi Zi Bing Pu Er Cha (whatever qi zi bing means). The first pu-erh I bought ever.

[@PathofCha]

@@greg1158 Qi Zi is probably a misspelling of "Cheezy". Just kidding:)) Actually, "Qi Zin Bing" means "set of 7 cakes". In China, the primary unit of measurement is Jin (斤) = 500 grams. Pu-erh cakes are commonly pressed into 357-gram cakes and packaged in sets of 7. Such sets are called "Qi Zi Bing". 7 * 357 = roughly 2.5kg = 5 Jin - a number easy to operate with:)

[@greg1158]

@@PathofCha Okay, thanks for the information, it makes sense! Probably I have some fake stuff then :D :D it's a small cake 100grams. But the tea itself is not bad at all.

[@owenl3929]

Nice to see someone else getting into shu puerh! As a next recommendation, sites like this one and Yunnan Sourcing or others have some really nice prices on small samples, or 100g cakes. That way you’ll also know where the tea was made and when it was made! That horse stall kind of smell usually fades within 1-2 years if it’s a well processed one, but shu always retains that sort of dark, slightly musty quality 😅 something to get used to and then eventually love! Happy to give more specific recs too!

[@StephenWong-ds3uj]

where can someone buy that table? its beautiful

[@PathofCha]

Thanks Stephen!:) Check it out: pathofcha.com/collections/tea-trays-chaban/products/handmade-tea-table-chaban

[@yami2307]

I love the intro 😍

[@PathofCha]

Thank you ☺

[@edwinlundmark]

Thank you for this video! It very interesting, especially since I am pretty new to tea and interested to buy some in the future. I've heard that raw pu-erh is easier for beginners, would you agree or does it not matter much? What tea would you recommend to a beginner?

[@PathofCha]

Thank you, Edwin! Glad you found it informative! The easiness of breaking into raw or ripe pu-erh is a very individual thing. These two types of pu-erh are very different. Shou pu-erh is usually much more mellow but its earthy notes may scare some people off, while sheng pu-erh is a very interesting tea but it's sharp and bitter notes may not be for everyone. A lot of it depends on the quality of the tea. If you are looking for a clean, not too earthy shou pu-erh - start with this one: rb.gy/tpnct (you can get as little as 25g) or with this one: rb.gy/509u0 And if you want to try a nice sheng, try this: rb.gy/rx71j - it's a Vietnamese sheng. I, personally, love it. Or this: rb.gy/98c1z

[@LiamEserda]

Thank you for a very well and clear explanation of the difference between the two types of Pu-Erh! Some questions: I always rinse the teas with 100 Celcius degree water, and then steep it with 100 C as well. Can it be, after rinsing with 100 C, steeped at a lower temperature? Say, 80 degree Celsius? And, as I understand, are both types of Pu-Erh called "post fermented" teas, Correct? And last question: as I understand; sheng Pu-Erh will never become shou Pu-Erh no matter how long you let it ripe? Or will ripen sheng Pu-Erh in wet conditions over (maybe decades) give the same result as shou Pu-Erh? Thanks in advance and best regards.

[@PathofCha]

Hi Liam. Thanks for the questions! I'll try to answer them to the best of my knowledge:) • It is customary to brew pu-erh with boiling water. You can, of course, lower the temperature to your liking (after all, it's your tea:) but generally speaking, aged compressed tea made of large and thick assamica leaves needs hot water to open up fully. So, 80ºC may not suffice. 95º - maybe, I wouldn't go lower than 90ºC. • Unlike Shou pu-erh, Sheng pu-erh is fermenting slowly and naturally, over the course of years. • After many years of aging and fermenting, sheng pu-erh can reach the condition when all the sharpness and bitterness dissipates, the brew is thick, sweet and rounded, and its color is dark. At this stage, it can be called "hei cha" (dark tea). Its taste will be similar to the taste of shou pu-erh. I, personally, never tried such old sheng, but hopefully will get a chance during my next visit to China in a couple of months:)

[@LiamEserda]

@@PathofCha thanks for your quick respond. Makes sense indeed for opening the leaves at 100 C. But loose leaf Pu-Erh; after rinsing with 100 C I will try steeping at a lower temp. So: is Sheng post fermented naturally and Shou "man made" post fermented? Like a compost heap in the garden. Both post ferment and as I understand "post" fermenting is a process they both undergo. If young Sheng is not called "Hei cha" what is it called then? Green tea? Hope you get a chance to taste old Sheng indeed! I hope you do a posting of that about the taste. Thank you.

[@PathofCha]

@@LiamEserda "is Sheng post fermented naturally and Shou "man made" post fermented? Like a compost heap in the garden. Both post ferment and as I understand "post" fermenting is a process they both undergo." - yes, that's correct. • Young sheng is called simply sheng:) and if it's produced in Yunnan, then it's called pu-erh. Otherwise, just sheng - there is no other conventional name for it. It is not a green tea because in green tea enzymes are stopped during the sha qing phase, while in sheng pu-erh enzymes are slowed down but still alive.

[@LiamEserda]

@@PathofCha Thanks again for your explaining, it's clear to me now. :) Best regards!