Mandarin orange pu-erh

I had this tea for the first time at Zen Valley Samovar and fell in love with it. Simple, yet complex, this tea is an experience. The pu-erh is aged and then packed inside a dried mandarin orange peel. It smells beautiful and subtle, and has a nice smooth flavor and consistency.

Pack the whole fruit into a small teapot, pour hot water over it, and let it steep for around 25 seconds. Pour out the first steeping, unless you really like very strong tea. This one will last for quite a while.

A note about the tea: When you first get it, it comes wrapped in plastic. Take off the plastic and let it sit in a dark, yet slightly humid place for about a week. The flavors will be more intense this way.

I tried this tea at Samovar in downtown San Francisco. The leaves are chipped out of the mandarin (literally with a tool similar to a chisel), then there is an initial quick rinse before the first steep. They said to steep for 30 – 45 seconds – I found I preferred the shorter steeping time. Once I put too much water in the pot for one cup and steeped for a few minutes… definitely a mistake!

I liked the tea both without and with the orange peel. I found it more subtle without (unsurprisingly). After drinking 4 or 5 brews I smelled the contents and I loved the sharp, earthy scent. Overall, really interesting and delicious.

(water temperature note may be off as I didn’t brew it myself)