For over a decade, Pu-erh tea has been a focal point of interest for a vast number of consumers, with its influence gradually radiating from regional Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to the rest of the world. Both domestic and international active inventories are massive; professional and amateur enthusiasts, whether intentional or not, have accumulated collections. The domestic Pu-erh inventory may already exceed 600,000 tons. Such a vast scale of inventory has profound implications for the future quality effects, value effects, and the healthy development of the tea industry.
Guided by the concepts of “aging into fragrance” and collecting for appreciation and value, we have traversed over a decade of collecting, constantly pursuing Pu-erh with high expectations. Many enthusiasts harbor the dream of “one collection defining one’s destiny.” This mindset has directed the development of Yunnan Pu-erh toward terms like “storing” or “collecting,” much like a small stream gathering strength to form a massive lake.<\/p>\n
However, regarding the vision for Pu-erh, if there is no deep reflection on storing, problems will arise. Long-term storage inevitably encounters extreme dryness or humidity. Along the Belt and Road Initiative\u2014from the coasts of Korea to Malaysia\u2014the influence of maritime climates on the storage environment is an unavoidable reality. As Pu-erh spreads toward the Northwest, it encounters extreme dryness that affects the quality of its transformation.<\/p>\n
I am reminded of our ancestor, Lu Yu. How did Lu Yu store tea?
In “Chapter Two: Tools” and “Chapter Four: Vessels” of *The Classic of Tea*, he designed an item for tea storage called “Yu,” also known as the “Du Lan”\u2014a square bamboo basket. It had two layers; the bottom layer could hold a brazier to dry damp tea leaves. Lu Yu called it “nurturing” rather than “storing” or “collecting.” Why did he call it “nurturing”?<\/p>\n
Studying Lu Yu’s philosophy, it is not difficult to find that the Tea Sage viewed tea leaves as living organisms. Tea in storage, much like a human life, has the potential to follow either a righteous or a deviated path. When dealing with tea in storage, one must adopt an attitude of “educating” it\u2014to nurture and guide it. Therefore, building upon our decade of “storing” and “collecting” Pu-erh, our industry must now embrace a new understanding: “nurturing.” It is not enough to simply leave Pu-erh tea sitting there or to hide it away in some place; we must update our concepts and apply the method of “Storing, Nurturing, Guiding, and Controlling.”<\/p>\n
Guiding\u2014guiding what? And how?
There are three transformation paths in Pu-erh storage: first, “microbial action” involving microorganisms; second, oxidative reactions occurring with oxygen contact; and third, automatic degradation or oxidation without oxygen contact. For example, one might seal the tea to create anaerobic or low-oxygen conditions, or leave the leaves exposed to the air for aerobic reactions. If microbes appear, it means mold has developed; thus, in actual storage, microbial involvement in the Pu-erh transformation process is not widespread.<\/p>\n
We know that if the moisture content of tea in storage does not exceed 10%, the transformation speed is very slow\u2014this is what we call “pure dry storage.” When moisture content is between 10% and 14%, rehydration occurs, which accelerates the transformation. This indicates that without a certain level of humidity, tea transformation is difficult; however, if the air humidity is too high and increases the tea’s own moisture content, it can trigger mold while accelerating transformation. Therefore, how to “guide” the air humidity of the storage environment and the moisture content of the tea, as well as providing the right temperature conditions, are vital subjects in Pu-erh collection.<\/p>\n
Determining the range of temperature and humidity to guide and nurture quality changes, and creating ideal environmental conditions\u2014these are the technical “control” issues that professional warehousing must focus on researching. Which moisture content should be used: 10%, 12%, 13%, or 14%? In which direction should we “nurture” it? What moisture level is required to stabilize certain specific flavors? For how long is it appropriate? These are the urgent problems we must solve.<\/p>\n
Different regions, different storage conditions, and different pursuit directions vary; therefore, Storing, Nurturing, Guiding, and Controlling remain the eternal laws for the regeneration of Pu-erh tea quality.<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
Author: Lam Sam (LamSam), the Old Tea Head
ZENTEA MANOR
Alliance Supply Chain Services Limited
Unit 902-3, 9\/F, Mini Cube, 10 Sam Chuk Street, San Po Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
www.zentea-shop.com Email:info@zentea-shop.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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