Description
Tangerine Pu’er Tea – A Serendipitous Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The origins of Tangerine Pu’er tea can be traced back to the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1827), when Luo Tianchi, a Jinshi scholar from Xinhui, Guangdong, first created it.
By accident, he brewed Pu’er tea with tangerine peel water and discovered its remarkable efficacy in relieving coughs and reducing phlegm. He subsequently experimented with hollowing out Xinhui tangerines and filling them with tea leaves, then sun-drying them to create a preserved tea product.
This innovation combined the fresh, fruity aroma of Xinhui tangerines with the mellow richness of Pu’er tea. It gradually gained popularity in the Lingnan region and was introduced overseas through trade with overseas Chinese.
The creation of Tangerine Pu’er tea embodies the fusion of Guangdong culture with the trade traditions of the Maritime Silk Road. Its production techniques have been listed as intangible cultural heritage in Jiangmen City, serving as an important representation of Guangdong’s culinary and health-preservation culture.
Our Traditional Handcrafted Tangerine Pu’er Tea
Our Tangerine Pu’er tea is traditionally handmade, using premium Dahong tangerines from Xinhui’s core growing region, paired with 15-year-aged “Imperial Grade” ripe Pu’er tea from Yunnan.
In Guangdong, Tangerine Pu’er tea is an essential health-preserving beverage. It effectively relieves phlegm and coughs, strengthens the spleen and stomach, reduces blood lipids, aids weight loss, and provides antioxidant and cardiovascular protection. The flavonoids in tangerine peel synergize with Pu’er’s theabrownins to eliminate free radicals and delay aging, while rutin enhances vascular elasticity to prevent hypertension.
Each Tangerine Pu’er tea unit weighs approximately 25 grams and can be divided for multiple infusions (4-5 servings per piece). After breaking apart, please promptly reseal any remaining tea for proper storage.
Brewing Method for Tangerine Pu’er Tea
Recommended utensils: Purple clay teapot, white porcelain gaiwan, or glass teapot. Use mineral or purified water to avoid impurities affecting the taste.
Brew with boiling water (100°C). Use 5-8g of tea leaves according to personal preference. Scoop out the Pu’er tea with a tea spoon and break off 3-4 pieces of tangerine peel (thumb-sized) for brewing together.
First 3 infusions: 10-20 seconds steeping time
4th-6th infusions: Extend to 20-30 seconds
After 7th infusion: May extend to 30-60 seconds
Tangerine Pu’er tea can not only be brewed but also simmered. Place tea leaves and tangerine peel in a boiling pot, add cold water, bring to boil then simmer for 5-10 minutes over low heat for a thicker tea soup.
