Old Growth Tea Forests:
Old Growth Tea Forests are self-sustaining, biodiverse ecosystem untouched by clear-cutting or mono-agriculture. Centuries old tea trees grow side by side with other indigenous trees and plants in a dense, subtropical mountain forest environment. There are few such tea forests remaining in the world and most are found in southern Yunnan, primarily in Xishuangbanna and parts of Simao and Lincang prefectures.
Banzhang Tea Forest
Banzhang Mountain is located in southwestern Xishuangbanna at 1800 m above sea level. This is a natural, wild type tea forest. An assortment of wild medicinal herbs and plants grow around the base of the tea trees contributing to Banzhang tea’s rich, distinctive flavor.
Local Ethnic Minorities
The Hani people of Lao (“old”) Banzhang and Xin (“new”) Banzhang villages are descendants from a branch of the ancient Qiang people, a nomadic tribe from the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. They are famous in Xishuangbanna for their abilities in harvesting and producing tea.
Brewing Suggestions
Traditional pu-er, starting green and growing gradually darker with age, differs somewhat from darker, 'Wo Dui' cooked pu-er in steeping style. Younger, greener pu-ers require a steeping method similar to other Chinese green teas using slightly cooler water and shorter infusions to avoid bitterness. We recommend infusing two teaspoons of leaf per 8 ounces of 160 to 180 F water for 2 to 3 minutes. This should provide at least 3 or 4 good infusions.
Older, properly aged, traditional pu-ers are much richer and smoother then their younger counterparts. However, using the same care in steeping will give you the most out of a fine, aged tea. Many also use the Gongfu style for brewing prized traditional pu-er.Greener pu-er can also be enjoyed “Chinese style”. Merely place a few leaves at the bottom of a cup or teapot, add hot water, and cover. After a couple minutes or so the leaf will infuse and sink to the bottom of the vessel allowing you to drink or pour from the top. When the water is down to just over the leaves, simply add more water. This style provides many infusions for a small amount of leaf.
