Pu-erh Ginger

Tea of the early (ok its 9am) morning. This is another from World Tea East and Rishi. I was interested in this one because I love pu-erh and ginger. But mixing ginger into anything is a tricky business. At least I’ve always found it to be. So I was a little unsure of how this was going to work out.

The dry leaf smells very much of ginger and earthy pu-erh…a good sign. But will it steep up the same way? The smell is more of the ginger and earthy pu-erh I smelled with the dry leaf, my hopes are up. I must say I was not let down the flavor is very earthy and rich, but with the nice bite of the ginger at the finish. This one is a winner in my book!

It is cold and rainy out, but sadly I am not at my apartment with my rainy-day teas. I’ve already taken most of the ones from my house, but thankfully I got my shipment from Rishi today! I am a sucker for sales so I jumped on their Mother’s Day one—I ordered too much, but I essentially got 1 tin for free and free shipping as well because of the sale. This is how I justify a lot of my tea buying: it’s on sale so I am saving money (even if it’s money I wouldn’t have spent otherwise ^^;).

So I’m waiting to go to the movies (to see The Avengers for the second time—part of a late mother’s day adventure because my mom is awesome) and a wonderful tea-filled box arrived. I sniffed them all and this was the clear choice for today. It smelled like ground ginger, not fresh, which was interesting and perfect for a chilly day. The steeping instructions seemed kind of off, more for a black than a pu-erh, but I decided to go with it and hope 5 minutes wasn’t too long. It came out fine, not too strong at all! It brewed up so dark though, almost coffee-colored, and smelled like yeast and a bit earthy. Definitely a good smell, at least to my nose.

The taste, surprisingly, is both fresh and dry ginger, a combination I’ve never had in tea before. There’s that spicy, hits you in the back of the throat heat you get from ginger root, and that mellow baking flavor from the dried. The pu-erh is definitely a nice addition as it gives a fullness to the cup, it’s not overwhelmingly ginger the whole way through but has a rich, earthy finish. I don’t really taste any of the orange, though—which is better, I like it being just ginger. Ginger + orange = the holidays to me. I can see this as being a blend I regularly reach for on colder, wet days (which happens quite a bit this time of year in NY).

Another interesting combination from Rishi Tea blending organic ginger and pu’erh tea. Not something I would normally look for, even though I enjoy good pu’erh tea and ginger tea as well (especially from fresh ginger). However, it was part of a sampler pack I had purchased and I thought I would give it a try.

Their brewing parameters of 5-6 minutes were a disaster on my first attempt, making a truly undrinkable brew—but when I shortened the time to 3 minutes, at 195 degrees F, it brews up to a really tasty concoction. Dark and earthy, predominantly ginger flavor but with a distinct pu’erh taste supporting. I was amazed to get three nice infusions this way with enough left over to try iced. Mmmm. You have to really like ginger to enjoy this (duh!) and try out the brewing parameters to find a taste that suits you. If the ginger is too prominent, try a second infusion where it tones down a bit.

Quick impressions:

Ginger and Soil. Planty, peaty, earthy ginger. Warmed in a terracota pot in the summertime. Unsweet ginger.

I like ginger so I like this just fine.

Until now I’ve shied away from pu-erhs because I kept reading about some having a fishy smell and/or taste. The idea of a fishy tasting tea was enough to roll my stomach. Then, last night a friend gifted me this tea. I was really tentative about trying it, but now I’m so glad I did. I think this tea mixed with the ginger was just what I needed to step out of my comfort zone.

This is a great winter tea. The pu-erh is earthy and thick (in a good way), and the ginger gives an immediate warmth while leaving a tiny bit of heat in the back of the throat. It’s perfect for chasing away the chills. While I am a huge ginger fan I would like to try a pu-erh on its own. The earthy flavor was intriguing, and I think it would be nice to sit with just that flavor for a while.

So here’s to trying new things and thoughtful gifts from sweet friends. Now I’m off to find my next pu-erh fix. :)

Yesterday I travelled to the Milwaukee Art Museum, because I’d never been there. Of course, it’s the middle of summer, so they cranked up the air conditioning as high as they possibly could. I had left my sweater in my locker and I was freezing. We were having lunch, and this was on the menu, so I figured I would try it. I never had Pu-erh tea before.
The problem with museum food is that once you’re in there, you’re stuck in there to eat whatever they have to offer. As a vegan, I’m often delegated to salads—which are fine, they just don’t warm you up. So, thus the tea. I really liked it! It reminded me of a lentil soup I make with ginger, one that I had been craving. This tea warmed up up right away, and I had the energy to keep going and check out the modern wing upstairs. (Can I just say: Helen Frankenthaler and Richard Dierbenkorn? I’m surprised that I fell in love with their work so thoroughly yesterday, when I had paid them no heed before.)
This Pu-erh might not be the best, but it certainly is tied to a lot of memories of yesterday. I might have to try this for myself at home. And while Pu-erh is warming, does anyone know about a tea that is ‘energizing’? I have canvases to begin and I’m dragging. Canvas+dragging=Tea.

I was given a sample packet of this tea by my local coffee shop. This is the first puerh blend from Rishi that I’ve ever had where I could taste the puerh. What’s funny about that is what it’s blended with is quite strong. The ginger is spicy, but I can taste the leather and earth of the puerh. It even coats my tounge like a real puerh. So I’m drinking puerh and doing ginger shots, I like multi-tasking.

delish. perfect for 15 degree weather and a car that is buried in snow…

Definitely my favorite tea of the moment. I have tried a few other ginger pu-erhs but nobody seems to do it as well as Rishi. I love the combination of the smoky flavor of pu-erh mixed with the zingy bite of ginger. It is my favorite morning time brew, perfect with a splash of soymilk.

Perfect “cold and rainy day” tea. The ginger meshes well with the pu’erh, taking away any edge of barnyard. Smooth, mellow, and a great intro to pu’erh.

Huh, I was surprised by the general ratings. I notice a lot of steepsters find the ginger overpowering. This is where my liking to more mild tea’s came in handy. I used maybe 12 – 15 oz boiling water to just 1.5 tbsp pu-erh for 5 minutes. The ginger wasn’t too strong and what I enjoyed most was the sheer difference in taste (from green, black, and white, which is what I’ve been drinking most). I guess that’s why it’s called Pu-erh!

Anyway, the ginger is evident and I like it. Otherwise, I’m really not sure how to describe this Pu-erh. Instead I will describe how it doesn’t taste. It’s not musty, or down to earth. It’s not sweet or bitter. It’s not smooth, tangy, vegetal, or floral.

Citrusy? Maybe. Bold? Most likely. Try it for yourself. But I recommend reducing the tea to water ratio.

Very good. I am not much of a ginger person, and even I like this.
I don’t go crazy over it though. However, last time I had friends over for another home cooked dinner made by yours truly, after one sip their faces lit up! THEY LOVED IT. Each of them lost their minds over this tea, and insisted on knowing where I got it from.
So not the right tea for me most days, but what a crowd pleaser!

Also… it’s magnificent for hangovers. :)

This tea really vibes with me right now. The burning sensation from the ginger complements the dark taste of the pu erh. It’s also helped with digestion, and is very filling. A must have for cold winter evenings, when there is a problem with the heat in your apartment and you have piled layers upon layers on yourself. This tea will warm you right up. Excellent!

Too much ginger for me, overpowering the pu-erh tea taste. Caused me to belch, probably the ginger. Can get 3 steepings, but I’ll try other varieties from Rishi.

Nice and creamy, but the ginger dominates. Mellows with a second steeping.

I love this tea, perfect for those cold winter days

Spicy and almost coffee-like in flavor. I love it so, but the caffeine hits so hard that I can see through time after one cup.

Great tea for digestion. Ginger is predominate, but Pu-erh is a pleasant back note. I use a couple of tea spoons for a large mug.

This tea comes into its own following a heavy meal.
Just finished a way too greasy Thai meal that was taking me down.
The tea is saving my stomach and mind with each sip. I happen to like the way the ginger rides on top of the rich smooth leaves, but even if I hated it….I would love it.

I like ginger in small amounts so I gave this a try. My impressions of this tea are not very stellar. The ginger is so overpowering that it masks the flavor of the tea leaves. A little ginger goes a long way and they used way too much in my opinion.