2018 Raw Xiao Hu Shai Pu Erh Tea Balls
2018 Raw Xiao Hu Shai Pu Erh Tea Balls
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A raw pu erh tea from the famed Xiao Hu Sai village with a dynamic and complex aroma. It starts with a powerful, but short-lived bitterness, quickly followed by an explosion of floral fragrance. The finish is sweet with hints of manuka honey. The contrast between the bitterness and the sweet finish is like heaven and earth, making this tea truly special.
Xiao Hu Sai
While Bingdao is the most popular village in Mengku, the area surrounding the Xiao Hu Sai village has the most ancient tea forests. With an average annual temperature of 20ºC and 1750mm precipitation, the Xiao Hu Sai community enjoys ideal conditions for tea cultivation.
The village only has around 420 inhabitants, of which nearly the whole working population is engaged in the tea industry.
Origin
Origin
- Type: Raw pu erh tea
- Origin: Xiao Hu Shai, Yunnan
- Year: 2018
- Season: Spring
- Shape: Tea balls
How to Steep
How to Steep
Steeping temperature: 100ºC
Western Method: Steep 1 Xiao Hu Shai tea ball with 500ml of water for 2 minutes. After the first steep apply the following steeping times for the next steeps: 1.5, 2, 4 minutes
Traditional method: Steep 1 Xiao Hu Shai tea ball with 100ml of water and steep for 40 seconds. After the first steep apply the following steeping times for the next steeps: 25, 15, 20, 25, 30, 30 seconds.
Shipping, Returns & Payment Methods
Shipping, Returns & Payment Methods
Delivery time: 1-10 day EU delivery. For estimates per country, please visit the shipping info page at the bottom of our website.
Import taxes?: because we ship from our EU warehouse, you will NOT be charged import taxes upon delivery if you're based in the EU. All taxes are already included in our prices.
Free shipping: available for orders over €59 for The Netherlands/Belgium, €80 for other EU countries (excluding Portugal & Hungary) & UK, and over €100 for other countries.
Returns: orders can be returned for a refund within 30 days. Products should returned in unopened, unused condition.
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How this raw pu erh tea is made
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Picking
Tea leaves are hand-picked in the morning.
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Withering
The leaves are spread on bamboo trays to wither.
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Fixation
The withered leaves are heated to halt oxidation.
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Rolling
The tea leaves are rolled to release their aroma.
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Sun Drying
Rolled leaves are spread on bamboo mats to sun-dry.
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Pressing
The processed tea leaves are steamed & compressed.
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Packaging
The compressed tea is wrapped in paper & packed in boxes.
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Aging
The raw pu erh tea is stored for further aging.

Our design work is inspired by the artwork “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” by the Zhang Zeduan in the Song Dynasty. Instead of displaying the daily lives of people in the capital of China (as the original artwork), we display the tea making process of farmers through the same bird’s eye perspective.
When examining our packaging design in detail, tea enthusiasts will observe the tea making process, featuring tea farmers picking, drying, rolling, and frying tea leaves. The tea is then tasted in a pavilion and transported by horses along the ‘ancient tea road’.
Together, the traditional Chinese landscape and tea making theme, symbolise heritage, tradition, and respect for hard work of tea farmers.