What is Gushu PuErh Tea? CHINA TRIP

Gushu PuErh tea is the world’s most sought after and most expensive tea. But what is Gushu PuErh and why is it so revered by tea lovers around the globe?
In this China trip, we explore the ancient tea forests in Yunnan to show you first hand how we source Gushu PuErh. Travel with us as we trek the mountains of He Kai, Nannuo and Lao Banzhang in search for the ultimate prize in tea - Gushu PuErh.
★To browse our Pu Erh Tea Collection: meileaf.com/teas/raw-puerh/
►To read a full article about Gushu Pu Erh teas: meileaf.com/article/what-is-g...
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[@JaredG_WV]

I can't believe these are just KZbin videos and not on like Travel Channel or something... amazing production quality. These videos fuel my tea hunting enthusiasm.

[@FrenchGuyCooking]

Great video, makes me want to experience the gushu-high very much ps : loved the journey

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks. DM your address through Insta and I will send you a little care package.

[@Skyphic]

ALEX! I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS, MAKE SOME ABOUT TEA PLEASE!

[@dmr11235]

Oh my god ALEX this is amazing two of my favorite KZbin channels colliding

[@dostoveskiee]

Wow your best video so far! Great b-roll, perfect editing, transitions; informative and sincere dialogue.. all that's left is for Don to learn Mandarin so you could interview the locals on camera XD And to think this was filmed by only 2-3 people.. you guys should be proud! I don't even drink tea much outside of Japanese supermarket teas but I'm convinced I have to dive into this other side of the tea world lol

[@ongoingmartin]

Kudos. Calm, informative, atmospheric. I appreciate your dedication every time.

[@prithunagarteaestate2383]

Truely amazing is the world of Chinese Tea

[@mariannefleur6671]

Extremely professional film - great landscape! Looking forward to part II of this video! I love Nannuoshan - really nice smooth balanced teas. Sleep well Don! ❤️👍🍃🍵😘

[@DanielMc777]

BEST TEA Documentary type video i ever seen Don :). This was Narrated so Professionally by you. I have been enjoying the Amber Oolong i recently ordered from you. Top Notch stuff! Go Mei Leaf!

[@MeiLeaf]

Many thanks for your compliments. We enjoy the challenge of making these videos while we are sourcing and it is good to know that you enjoy our efforts. I am happy that you are sipping happily on that Amber.

[@saracaudill]

I wish I could give this video two thumbs up! Serious kudos to Celine for some excellent footage and equal accolades to Don for a fantastic editing job! The aerial footage paired with music was particularly impressive and gave a wonderful peek behind the curtain to places I unfortunately will probably never be able to go to in person. The information provided was very interesting and you could see the joy and heartbreak on Don's face when he tasted the tea, since he seemed to be enjoying an exceptional tea that he would not be able to source (at least this year!). Thank you for another entertaining and informative video! Fingers crossed that we will be able to taste that tea next year. 😊

[@kalihiwai2]

Just listened to History of China podcast from Teacup Media about the history of tea, good to actually see the old growth tea forests that were described. Thank you for your hard work

[@jenkyc7313]

Big shout out to Celine, or whoever does the filming for these things! Excellently done!

[@MeiLeaf]

Yes it is Celine on the camera and I fly the drone 🙂

[@annegamalski614]

The way you used music this time was great and the drone - fantastic! I already gathered from your videos that pesticides are not an issue in chinese teas but the additional information is very comforting. I love the details about the road and the (sad) story about the tree poisend by concret. Thank you so much Don for sharing your knowledge so generously with us.

[@reedshandmadeincense]

Great video as always.

[@ParkerD303]

Really fascinated by the idea of Gushu tea lending a much different body sensation. Your stomach turning description reminded me of the come up on psilocybin. Eager to experience my incoming Pendulum Meddler!

[@MeiLeaf]

You know it is actually quite similar as that come up feeling. I swear it gave the world a pink hue as well so it was messing with my visuals a little.

[@DaRanged]

Absolutely fascinating!

[@MakeSenseToYourLife]

Fantastic! We are so privileged you took us to those areas where the most precious Puer tea is produced!

[@changfachou]

Thank you so much for making these videos. Love what you do!

[@Tasman_Tea]

Brilliant! One of your best videos yet! Thanks so much for the work you put in to travelling, filming, editing etc. these exceptional tea videos.

[@maxzyklas3704]

Great Video. Love those Trips!!!

[@josephkilgariff1161]

If you want to open a branch in Nottingham I will leave my job to run it :) loving the raw pu'erh and exploring all the flavours

[@onestupidperson8354]

Ooh awesome video, as always. Really enjoy the air shots. Great info as well. I bet Lucy is loving this one!

[@supersonicyou]

Lovely, thanks! Watching this somehow made me feel happier!

[@LiamEserda]

Very impressive and informative. I enjoyed it and learned from it. Thanks Don!

[@brunapalomera4780]

Thank you for making this videos they unite two things that I personaly love, tea and learning.

[@Smokdeel]

Thank you fo rsharing your tea-wisdom and for blowing my tea-mind footage,especially drone shots.Absolutely fantastic!

[@mariannefleur6671]

Yay! Watching now! 😍😍😍😱😱😱😇😇😇 Been waiting for this one! ❤️ Putting my kettle on!

[@Iam-me]

Pu er tea function is similar like aspirin and statin for our body without side effect. Good for ischemic stroke. And good for diabetic patient too The taste is like smooth on tounge. I bought pu er tea $300 usa. Now my aunt is going to yunan to hunt the pu er tea. For private use.

[@mario7027]

Amazing footage of the tea mountains and villages! Good to have a virtual journey with your video, but now I want to go there back again to experience it in real life! Reminds me of my walks in the mountains of Yunnan, I missed those areas though, I feel like I'll never get tired of travelling around Yunnan.

[@er666an]

What a wonderful video! You managed to combine all that I love about the tea experience into half an hour :) I am watching this as I'm drinking the last of my "Young Gushu 2017". Hopefully one day I'll manage to taste the really old trees like the ones on the video. Keep up the great work that you do and keep making those awesome videos!

[@jun3078]

The production quality is amazing considering its just from a teahead couple 😄

[@petra.andersen]

Great video, excellent footage :-) looking forward to part 2 ♥ ☕

[@ninacoughlan4835]

Honest , passionate , engaging,informative. Well done Don!

[@vishypai7554]

Fascinating! Thank you for making this amazing video!

[@robcavenphotography5231]

Thank you both for another great video, I really do get joy out of viewing the tea culture, at source :)

[@andrzejlolszewski212]

I just love your videos from china.

[@forteandblues]

Whenever I watch videos like this from Don, it makes me feel more and more like Fort Collins Colorado would just be an amazing place to grow tea

[@cliffjudith]

I know gushu flavour is controversal but the flavour is definitely unique to "old trees". I cannot believe that deep roots add to flavour as soil terroir would add the flavour without deep roots. I believe that it is "plant apparency hypothesis" which is the older the tree is the more it has been exposed to threats so produces a wider variety of defensive chemicals in the form of polyphenols and terpenes that are the flavour compounds in tea. These compounds are "alleles" which protect the tea against insects and other threats. Research is underway, for example, on the human gene FOXO which is affected (semi-permanently) by tea drinking. This effect occurs in tea plants hence better flavour the earlier the tree is. I therefore firmly believe that the unique flavour is affected by threats to the plant over a ling period so giving a more complex flavour.

[@ianwyyeung]

Beautiful video. Even as not much of a Puerh drinker I found it immensely enjoyable. Thanks Don!

[@TheresaLockwood]

Oh WOW! Awesome video about the culture and history of tea. Loved it. This guy makes me fall in love with tea more and more. I am learning so much from him. I had no idea that the world and culture around tea were this big. I knew there was a lot about tea I did not know, so I ventured into finding out more about it. I did not know it was as big as vast as the universe in the ways this guy brings it to life and teaches all of these details that are endless. I think you so much for sharing all of this with us from your journeys.

[@michaelanthony1493]

lOVE THESE

[@jimmarch5457]

Great video, well organized and documented. Kept my attention big time. Learned alot!

[@thorarthur66ddz]

Thanks for a great video Don!

[@benh.1795]

Don, thanks for another entertaining and informative video. I must say, I've really enjoyed watching the evolution of your channel. You've come a long way since those brief videos on tea types (your first ones), and your use of mics, lighting, intros/outros, and now drones and soundtracks have moved your videos from good to world-class. And incidentally, your keto diet is paying off - you look great, man! Stay thirsty, my friend!

[@MeiLeaf]

Many thanks Ben, we enjoy the evolution process and always try to challenge ourselves to up the quality. Keto for life, I love how much energy it gives whereas before I was carb slouching after meals.

[@dennisjohansson5716]

This was really really cool to get to see!!

[@mrwatermelon3221]

Thank you for a wonderful video. So much love and respect to the pickers .. hard work .. hard on the body and hands .. Xx

[@iputuoka2707]

Great tea comes first

[@Ladycooks]

I've been struggling terribly with sleep pattern lately, or I'd ride the wave of this temptation to sess' some tea right now! Maybe tomorrow!

[@stellajohannes8489]

Thank you as always :) Excellent video

[@livertine504]

What an amazing video. I hope I can see such places one day too. Thank you a lot for such a great insight - keep up the amazing work! Cheers from Vienna

[@vancer11]

I love this videos, thanks

[@ebooo6695]

That beat is dope.

[@jurgenleofoley4270]

Thanks so much :) blessing to ye 👌🏽

[@Gasman2506]

That tea you tasted has a very nice colour

[@dennisjohansson5716]

Really nicely made!

[@BlastedOffRawPuerh88]

Yo, gushu is 🔥. We need a breezy bohemian hoodie!!!! My favorite atm

[@charlesperez9976]

Add me to the list of viewers who consider this your best video! Don,I have 3 Mist Pilgrim cakes. The first,I will begin enjoying in a few weeks,when my niece graduates college. The second(I am 51 years old), I will begin to enjoy when my brother turns 60 and my mother turns 80. The third,well,that is where my question comes in. I want to keep this one,for a few decades(if I live that long). How should I store it for so long? Should I puncture the package a bit? Remove from package and wrap in paper? I plan on buying a mini fridge and keeping it at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit,but your knowledge and wisdom would be appreciated. Thanks for so much education,Don Mei!! Oh also,I have a Puerh from Nanuoshan from the 1980s,I am almost scared to break it! I don’t even know what type it is!

[@TillsTech]

great as always

[@mikedelgado8888]

Awesome

[@alchemichael]

top notch vid!

[@feelz_4_dayz885]

hey that's a pretty high quality video

[@ingz3768]

I love tea and I love documentaries of exotic trips! Please document more of your trips. Tea markets in Beijing, hand made clay pots etc.! I could watch them endlessly ! Besides that maybe check on bio certificates if not too time consuming for the fact check?

[@RicardoLuna]

Thanks for the free trip :-)

[@Kenpa64]

What a beautiful video. Everything has been wonderfully recorded and explanations have been clear and complete. I am in Hangzhou this week and will try to go to West lake hoping to see something half as beautiful as the scenery you got in this video. When Don took the parasite off the tea tree, it made me wonder if you are ever going to explain something about Chinese medicinal herbs. Since this was one of the starting steps towards your passion for tea. Maybe you know some good explanatory book for a newbie? Thanks for the loads of information you provide each week.

[@GilbertBarrierLaDanseduSilence]

Great video and nice to learn some chinese

[@yoda112358]

Great to see another video from mei leaf. Have you guys considered doing a video on kukicha/twig tea?

[@MeiLeaf]

We did briefly discuss Kukicha in our Japanese Green tea video and we will try to film more when we are in Japan. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching.

[@FrF]

I wholeheartedly support this suggestion. Kukicha seems to be a little bit neglected and a lot of well-known tea vendors (Mei Leaf is among them, I think) don't sell it at all. Thanks to Kukicha I can drink more green tea than is probably reasonable :-)

[@hrcostigan]

Great video as always. You should consider to stock some Pangxiejiao (Crab's Feet). It's not just a novelty. It's really good stuff. The brew is almost as clear as water, yet it's extremely sweet and creamy. You can drink it pure or add a few feet to your Pu Erh at the end of a tea session.

[@MeiLeaf]

We are considering it and I do enjoy drinking it with PuErh.

[@joshuatham7965]

Very informative and good video. Super good fragrance and taste are good. In fact, our body and health will tell whether it's real or fake Gushu PuErth Tea.

[@arguan]

Very informative and good video! I see my bias confirmed, gushu is is no fix value and it is often a fraudulently applied value, which is why I don't really care about it, the taste/aroma is in the end what I pay for, no matter what is printed on the label...

[@mario7027]

@18:03 Very surprising to see such an environmentally friendly road construction in China.

[@panboosel]

Great video! I really love your series about tea production and history. Are you planning visiting Taiwan to make a video about GABA oolongs?

[@MeiLeaf]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3jcnoRsaZmWhaM

[@germainegrewal8833]

Don’t stop these trips comming

[@richardsalmon5452]

Great video, probably the closet I’ll ever get to LBZ. 😀. Any young gushy 2018 heading to mei leafs shelves. Thanks

[@MeiLeaf]

Yes YG2018 is probably arriving in about 2 weeks.

[@Gamstercam]

my heart just broke ,,, :(

[@paulproductions9213]

We have a beautiful world, let's save it and care of it, especially those sweet leafs...

[@steve7931]

Hi Don, great video. A suggestion, could you please write the place names visited to the screen , and where appropriate display the location on a map ( google earth maybe ) inserted . This will increase my knowledge of the Tea growing regions and help with a wider understanding of you otherwise super explanations. Thanks.

[@chimpta]

Great video. So much love the efforts being made to keep the tea areas pure. I live on a dirt road but no tea here in the Rocky Mountains. :( The two tea tastings you had, were they aged or young teas? When the tea was being processed by throwing it up a bit it looked like clouds of dust were coming off of the leaves. Is that what it was?

[@MeiLeaf]

They were both young PuErh. That is steam coming off the leaves.

[@ilyakolmanovsky]

Thanks for an amazing video! As a biologist I wonder where I could find pix of existing cross sections of dead trees - that would show at least a rough correlation between circumference and age. I mean, to a naive eye they might as well be 80 years old, not 800...

[@MeisterVasqus]

When it Comes to Puerh there is no one on KZbin with more knowledge about farming and stuff then William from farmer leaf. If you are interested in this Topic watch this kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZ3Gc5WDfMZ1hZI . He is really cautious with estimating the age of the trees because its so hard to say. He also Shows Pictures of cut down old trees and explains why it's so hard to estimate their age by counting rings since it's in a Tropical Region the rings are not shown clearly. IMHO marketing tea as Gushu is totally ok because you can estimate the trees to be quite old, but selling it as a specific age range for example 500 years + is hard because no one knows how old they really are. Hope you find his Video interesting.

[@Salamander1269]

I've learned a lot about tea from your videos, thank you. I buy loose tea in the tea shop, but as you say, one has to be very attentive to choose the right tea. I want to ask you about two teas from the Yunan province, Golden Yunan and my favourite Golden Rain from the same province. What do you know about them? I'd be delighted to hear your opinion. Thank you!

[@MartinezRaigosa]

10:15 I am glad that the Government has punishments for chemical spraying users on that land. Makes me love buying from Mei Leaf

[@justnicky17]

Where is that red shirt from with the buck? It's so nice!

[@ItsMisterEp]

First off, when is the Mei Leaf mixtape dropping? I love the montage music! Secondly, I love when you guys get directly with the farmers and sellers because both gives much perspective on the love and care put into tea Lastly, You should invest in a 4k camera beacuse it feels like a professional documentary at times and you guys get some great shots! Love everything you guys do!

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks. Our camera is 4k but my computer can't handle the footage so I have to upgrade the editing hardware.

[@ItsMisterEp]

the upgrade will be worth it! Also Don, you should write a book on tea it could teach so many potential tea heads out there! Are there any good tea books out now that you would recommend?

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks for the nudge, I am going to have to extend the budget and buy a supercharged computer. I get the books question a lot and to be honest I have not read enough of them - I know that seems a bit crazy but whenever I get a chance to read I prefer to read other subjects to broaden my scope and I am most often disappointed with books on tea. If I could steal a few months I would love to write a book on tea. Any particular subjects that would interest you?

[@ItsMisterEp]

Well it could be a series or really extensive single book; a book on all green tea, history of tea, brewing methods, water quality(still waiting on that video!), how tea changes your life. I know a lot of these subjects are covered in many of your videos, but I feel a book would give you more time say exactly what you want to in as many paragraphs as you'd like. You guys are also excellent photographers (lots of #teaporn pics!, and you're both so passionate about it so I imagine writing the book would be very natural for you. You're videos and articles are all very informative, but I think having it down in a book would be such a joy to read!

[@jang.1185]

Hello Don, if I could also tell you my opinion, the book should just cover all of your experiences. How did you get familiar with world of tea (already there is a video - very interesting). Also short history of the origin of tea types, their specifics and traditions which are connected with those teas. Next there should be mentioned the tea processing - all the ways. It would be great to include some short stories about the people who are making tea. Who really are they? Now what comes on my mind is that I know less informations about the regions where tea is produced. In videos you usually mention your feeling about the place where you source tea, about it's advantages and disadvantages. OK, now back to tea - scoping, what are signs of good tea and low quality tea. What can we read out of the leaves? You could mention your experiences, tell us about the best teas which you have tasted. Even if such teas can not be reachable for us - I would like to know how it was. Also something about storing tea :) Why older tea can be better. How can I store specific types of tea and what can I expect from it. How to do it right :) I heard that if you store some wu yi yan cha in wooden boxes, it gets something from used wood (wood like linden changes characteristics of stored tea differently then walnut). Have you ever heard something like this? Well, I am already tired today :) so I hope I am not writing nonsenses. However - book remains for hundreds years, this is much better then data. I wrote short story short time ago (for some reason...) and I found out that when you start to write, it is difficult to stop until the story is finished, because there is usually lot of things which you want to tell. Another thing is that you do not have to write it all on you own. It seems that you have lot of people around who can also add something and help. It could be really interesting book and I would buy it definitely. Thak you, Jan

[@kingrichardiii6280]

at 7:09 the note at the bottom said Radiocarbon dating could be used, but i don't think that is true. if i recall right Radiocarbon dating works because as the tree, or other living thing, lives it collects radioactive forms of carbon and after it dies carbon is no longer being collected and the radioactive carbon decays to stable elements and it is the count of stable elements and radioactive carbon that estimates the time passed after the organism died. so if the tree is living carbon dating would not work.

[@kalefu]

Thank you for another great video. If it leads to next PuErh cake please make sure it’s no less than 200g ;) them 100g cakes are getting lost in my pumidor ;P

[@MeiLeaf]

Only 200g and above are being ordered for raw.

[@kalefu]

Mei Leaf awesome, I’m sure it will make a lot of teaheads very happy 😃

[@sasykins3359]

19:10 Naughty naughty.......😁

[@hero88687757]

Dodgy Don Coming thru with the sneaky tea smuggeling :'D

[@jav3951]

How are they picking up the leaves from the top of these old trees?:)

[@AndreyTaiwanLive]

Thank you ,Don. Absolutely adorable pieces of information. Hello from Taipei and thanks for spreading the word about Teas so professionally.

[@davidgo8874]

How can you tell if the quality is good before you buy it? Ebay sells lots of Puerh with all kinds of names and prices. Is most Puer tea grown without chemicals?

[@abctaschenbuch3154]

What means "arbor"?

[@jkjy6471]

i have a pu erh tea over 20 years old, can i check with someone here? malaysia only

[@kellyfarrell4971]

So does the fact that they aren't sprayed mean I'm silly buying organic?

[@UrbanFa3rie]

Which do you prefer raw or ripe? Which is traditional?

[@MeiLeaf]

I have no preference, they are both delicious. Raw is traditional.

[@blondreports]

Hi, can you make a video about Earl Grey tea? You don't sell this tea, but can you tell anything about it? P.S Always wear a seat belt :D

[@chillcooking3119]

🤦‍♂️

[@Eza_yuta]

If the reason why Gushu teas are better because their root reach deeper soil to absorb more nutrient, instead of bother to determine how old a tree is why not just valued it by their tree size? Larger tree tend to have larger roots, thus more deep reaching roots.

[@michael_anthony]

What's your opinion of genmaicha?

[@ossy43]

Don't like genmaicha, it's not real tea.....is tea mixed with rice (poor people's tea)

[@MeiLeaf]

I enjoy Genmaicha especially as a pairing with foods - the nuttiness of the rice can be very complementary with quite a few dishes.

[@Nioteas]

As genmaicha is mixed with bancha it is a great to drink in the evening. Bancha is often drank with meals so the suggestion of mei leaf is good to mix it with meals. As the taste is quite intense I like to drink it alone or with some dates or something sweet.

[@w0033944]

That area appears to be quite dry, Don; do they have problems with wildfires and are the trees sometimes affected by water shortage?

[@MeiLeaf]

Amount of rain has a huge effect on quality of tea and can be variable. I have not heard of any issues with wildfires though.

[@w0033944]

Thanks - the matter has been on my mind recently due to our drought!

[@HalfmoonForge]

I need to know, is there anywhere I can buy seeds to grow my own tea? I saw a little on eBay but they label everything as a bonsai tree. I don't trust it.

[@MeiLeaf]

We have picked up quite a few seeds from our trips but I don't know where you can buy any legitimate tea seeds. I am pretty sure that you can buy tea plants in the UK but I forget the supplier.

[@HalfmoonForge]

@@MeiLeaf if you find out please let me know. And is it possible to clone a tea plant?

[@kekt536]

I always find it weird when people are able to describe stuff like beer and tea and coffee as chocolatey or caramelly or nougat. im just sitting here like "ah yeas this tastes like dirt and maybe foggy"

[@8cyber.muse8]

Do you speak Chinese?

[@sasykins3359]

17:50 Sorry to be rude but she seems to be mixed race. She is beautiful and I am not complaining but that’s been my thought at the back of my mind the first time I have ever seen her. Can you confirm?

[@MeiLeaf]

She is half Chinese and half French.

[@mario7027]

"She" is Céline by the way, it seems like you haven't watched enough of the Mei Leaf videos :)

[@MontyGumby]

why is it important to you ?

[@adamgreenhaus4691]

I stepped in some dog crap today. Now I've got goo shoes and all I can smell is poo air.

[@ossy43]

I know this is blasphemous, but raw PuErh tastes like Sencha....

[@MeiLeaf]

Wow that is quite a statement, I salute your boldness.