Inner Primeval Earth 2021, aged Xiao Hu Sai shengcha Pu’er cha bing, 200 g

Compare the size difference between a 200g Inner Primeval Earth cha bing with a standard 357g cha bing ( Lao Ban Zhang )

Taste profile

Nose: Deep, floral aroma with accents of rasin petiole, pollen, and mint on an herbal, earthy undertone. Palate: Vibrant, and impactful full body with a solid depth. Accents of raw Chinese liquorice with tinkles of mints, minerals, and dried herbs on an earthy undertone with a distinct sandalwood presence, invigorated by tints of astringent bites and bitterness. Finish: Cooling, quenching and lightly umami accented with the hui gan of raw liquorice.

The Inner Primeval Earth cha bing is optimally compressed so it is loose enough for easy chipping. Getting a chunk of the leaves without too much broken bits helps to achieve a taste balance between strength and smoothness for optimal enjoyment.

Infusion suggestion

A higher leaf to water ratio and shorter infusion time — i.e. the gongfu approach, allows for the opportunity for better manifestation of the taste potential of this tea, like most other shengcha cha bing. This is particularly true for this particular tea because of its relatively strong and distinctive characters.

Although the convention of 7 to 8 gram to each 150ml applies to this tea as well, the proportion of small broken leaves and the size of the chunk that is chipped from the cha bing affects tremendously the duration of the first infusion. Make it short if there are more broken leaves, make it slightly longer if the chunk is more dominant. 30 sec to 1 min is the usual range, but make it shorter if there are more broken leaves.

To experience the best of this tea, it is advisable to use a genuine Yixing teapot of medium to higher porosity, such as a zisha. A non-glazed clay teapot can be an alternative.

As in all other compressed teas, always blanche the leaves before the first infusion. Always use near boiling water for all Pu’er, not only to maximise the taste profile, but also for a balance of the TCM consideration of the qi energy the tea can bring into your system, particularly in the shengcha subcategory, regardless of how aged the leaves are.

Please visit this article for more infusion guide on cha bing: How to brew a cha bing

A Lahu old lady coming home from the mountain

* note: On the name of Xiao Hu Sai 小戶賽 on the wrapping paper: This is a Chinese transliteration of how the local ethnic Lahu people say the name of the place in their language. The sound “hu” in this context, refers to the dark colour, rich, primeval forest soil where the local regards as an important characteristic of the settlement because fertility of the land is an important factor for the availability of food. The sound “sai” is common throughout this part of Yunnan across various ethnic groups referring to the idea of “village” or “settlement”. The part “xiao” is borrowed from the Chinese word small, as opposite to big “da”, which in the local context in place naming, is about whether the place is more hidden or more exposed on top of ridges. We think rather than giving you the romanisation of how the Chinese transliterates the name, it makes more sense to transmit the original meaning of the name of the place from the perspective of the locals who provide the leaves. That is why we name it Inner Primeval Earth, shortened from our original translation: The Inner Village of Primeval Earth