Sheng pu-erh (生普洱, shēng pǔ'ěr)
Sheng pu-erh (普洱生茶), or raw pu-erh, is made from Yunnan’s large-leaf tea plants without the wet-piling stage used for shu. It can be enjoyed young or aged.
The leaves undergo heat fixation, rolling and sun-drying to produce maocha. This material is often steamed, pressed into cakes, bricks or nest shapes, then dried again. “Raw,” the common English translation, does not mean unprocessed leaf.
Young sheng can have floral, grassy and fruity notes, with varying bitterness and astringency. Ageing changes aroma, colour and flavour, but follows no fixed timetable: the original tea and storage matter. Ten or fifteen years do not guarantee that bitterness disappears or quality improves. Aged sheng remains sheng; it does not become shu.
Try a small sample of the batch. For young sheng, one starting recipe is 4 g per 100–120 ml, water at 90–95 °C and a short infusion of about 10–15 seconds. If it is too strong, pour sooner or use less leaf. Hotter water is also possible if you enjoy the result.
Protect the tea from damp, condensation and foreign smells. A dark infusion does not prove age, and a pleasant taste is not a safety test. Do not taste suspected mouldy tea or try to fix it by rinsing.
Related teas
Chinese tea glossary