I've read from a couple of sources (following links from here) that if
one buys young Puerh and stores it, one should take care to keep it
away from odors that might contaminate its flavor. Does this mean that
if I were to keep a cake or bowl of Puerh in a paper sack with some
fresh peaches, it would take on the aroma and flavor of peach? (I
would find this quite desirable).


stePH
--
GoogleGroups licks balls.

On 30 Aug 2005 17:45:04 -0700, "stePH" > wrote:

>I've read from a couple of sources (following links from here) that if
>one buys young Puerh and stores it, one should take care to keep it
>away from odors that might contaminate its flavor. Does this mean that
>if I were to keep a cake or bowl of Puerh in a paper sack with some
>fresh peaches, it would take on the aroma and flavor of peach? (I
>would find this quite desirable).
>
>
>stePH

This certainly makes sense and is worth experimentation, keep us
posted. I would use dried peaches though and not fresh because you
don't want to introduce that much moisture.

There is a type of oolong that is stored inside of a Pomelo skin (a
Chinese citrus fruit resembling a grapefruit) and it defiantly takes
on the citrus flavor.
http://www.sevencups.com/tea-shop/pr...cat=281&page=1

Mike Petro
http://www.pu-erh.net
"In this work, when it shall be found that much is omitted, let it not be forgotten that much likewise is performed."
Samuel Johnson, 1775, upon finishing his dictionary.

Teas in general are noted for taking on the scent of a neighbor good or
bad. I like using dried blossoms of nectars like
honeysuckle,rose,cherry,orange,apple,peach,etc. I add them
individually to the cup at the last minute. If you've got a supply
make a bed and cover the puerh with a blanket of the stuff. When it
more fall I'm going to try smoking some. I'll use the wood from some
dead cherry trees. Other teas like LS use wood from trees. Puerh
meets the general desirable requirements of storing any tea. The only
additional requirement is the air circulation while other teas closed
containers.

Jim

stePH wrote:
> I've read from a couple of sources (following links from here) that if
> one buys young Puerh and stores it, one should take care to keep it
> away from odors that might contaminate its flavor. Does this mean that
> if I were to keep a cake or bowl of Puerh in a paper sack with some
> fresh peaches, it would take on the aroma and flavor of peach? (I
> would find this quite desirable).
>
>
> stePH
> --
> GoogleGroups licks balls.

Space Cowboy wrote:
> Teas in general are noted for taking on the scent of a neighbor good or
> bad. I like using dried blossoms of nectars like
> honeysuckle,rose,cherry,orange,apple,peach,etc. I add them
> individually to the cup at the last minute. If you've got a supply
> make a bed and cover the puerh with a blanket of the stuff. When it
> more fall I'm going to try smoking some. I'll use the wood from some
> dead cherry trees. Other teas like LS use wood from trees. Puerh
> meets the general desirable requirements of storing any tea. The only
> additional requirement is the air circulation while other teas closed
> containers.
>
> Jim

Jim,
IMHO it is a waste of good puerh. I smoked a black and a green bingcha
using Maple while I was smoking off a couple of boston butts last year,
naturally I did not let them come in contact with the pork. I kept the
temperature around 200f the whole time (mainly because thats the temp
the pork required) and smoked them for about 2 hours which was when the
green bing had turned light brown, the cooked bing only got darker. The
results were not impressive, reminded me of some of these aged/roasted
oolongs you see, however the pork BBQ was fantastic. Hou De Fine also
sells a "Wood Roasted Puerh Tips" that I found equally unimpressive.

Mike

Too bad I'm not a Texas AM alumni. My granddad who is long gone had a
great smoke shed where he cured meats. I've been looking for an excuse
to buy an Indian chimney pot. When I want roasted pork I go to
Chinatown which comes with that special mysterious dipping sauce which
I've avoided in the past but not anymore when I drink the cooked pu.

Jim

Mike Petro wrote:
> Space Cowboy wrote:
> > Teas in general are noted for taking on the scent of a neighbor good or
> > bad. I like using dried blossoms of nectars like
> > honeysuckle,rose,cherry,orange,apple,peach,etc. I add them
> > individually to the cup at the last minute. If you've got a supply
> > make a bed and cover the puerh with a blanket of the stuff. When it
> > more fall I'm going to try smoking some. I'll use the wood from some
> > dead cherry trees. Other teas like LS use wood from trees. Puerh
> > meets the general desirable requirements of storing any tea. The only
> > additional requirement is the air circulation while other teas closed
> > containers.
> >
> > Jim
>
> Jim,
> IMHO it is a waste of good puerh. I smoked a black and a green bingcha
> using Maple while I was smoking off a couple of boston butts last year,
> naturally I did not let them come in contact with the pork. I kept the
> temperature around 200f the whole time (mainly because thats the temp
> the pork required) and smoked them for about 2 hours which was when the
> green bing had turned light brown, the cooked bing only got darker. The
> results were not impressive, reminded me of some of these aged/roasted
> oolongs you see, however the pork BBQ was fantastic. Hou De Fine also
> sells a "Wood Roasted Puerh Tips" that I found equally unimpressive.
>
> Mike

Mike 8/31/05


>
> Space Cowboy wrote:
>> Teas in general are noted for taking on the scent of a neighbor good or
>> bad. I like using dried blossoms of nectars like
>> honeysuckle,rose,cherry,orange,apple,peach,etc. I add them
>> individually to the cup at the last minute. If you've got a supply
>> make a bed and cover the puerh with a blanket of the stuff. When it
>> more fall I'm going to try smoking some. I'll use the wood from some
>> dead cherry trees. Other teas like LS use wood from trees. Puerh
>> meets the general desirable requirements of storing any tea. The only
>> additional requirement is the air circulation while other teas closed
>> containers.
>>
>> Jim
>
> Jim,
> IMHO it is a waste of good puerh. I smoked a black and a green bingcha
> using Maple while I was smoking off a couple of boston butts last year,
> naturally I did not let them come in contact with the pork. I kept the
> temperature around 200f the whole time (mainly because thats the temp
> the pork required) and smoked them for about 2 hours which was when the
> green bing had turned light brown, the cooked bing only got darker. The
> results were not impressive, reminded me of some of these aged/roasted
> oolongs you see, however the pork BBQ was fantastic. Hou De Fine also
> sells a "Wood Roasted Puerh Tips" that I found equally unimpressive.
>
> Mike
>

Mike and Jim,

Your points are of course well taken and amusing. Coincidentally, I'm
finishing off some Lan Gui Ren this morning -- that's the gensing infested
blobular bits you sent awhile back. Much as I've tried to dislike it, being
put off by blendings and mixings that god did not intend, I can't. Moving on
to Jim's suggestion, when you consider the many half-way decent but in no
way spectacular cooked Pu'erhs available, a sprinkling of the bits he
suggests would not be at all a bad thing, IMHO. What about the Pamelo (sp?)
casing we had talked of some time ago?

Michael

I still drink my teas straight up. I have an assortment of tisanes for
diversion and guests. This year I got the blossoms from a branch on a
cherry tree. Dried flowers when added to the cup tend to overwhelm the
tea. I need to try a scent method. Another good group for tea besides
the flowers is dried fruit. The only spices I use is chai. I have an
Arabic brand scented with cardomon which I haven't tried. I take a
pass on anything bergamot or ginseng. There is a large herbal shop in
the next town and your nose is your best guide. I've been drinking
cooked puerh everyday for the past six months and like beer I'm
starting to like it. Every cooked puerh taste different enough. I
still don't have a pomelo gourd or a column to finish off my puerh
architectural collection.

Jim

Michael Plant wrote:
> Mike 8/31/05
>
> >...
> > Space Cowboy wrote:
> >...

> Mike and Jim,
>
> Your points are of course well taken and amusing. Coincidentally, I'm
> finishing off some Lan Gui Ren this morning -- that's the gensing infested
> blobular bits you sent awhile back. Much as I've tried to dislike it, being
> put off by blendings and mixings that god did not intend, I can't. Moving on
> to Jim's suggestion, when you consider the many half-way decent but in no
> way spectacular cooked Pu'erhs available, a sprinkling of the bits he
> suggests would not be at all a bad thing, IMHO. What about the Pamelo (sp?)
> casing we had talked of some time ago?
>
> Michael

> I would use dried peaches though and not fresh because you
> don't want to introduce that much moisture.

I just had another thought -- what of those "dessicant packs" that
sometimes come in boxes containing other merchandise, to keep moisture
away from the merchandise? Would those be useful in storing Puerh or
would the dessicant somehow contaminate the tea? (I have no idea what's
in those little packets)


stePH
--
GoogleGroups licks balls.

stePH wrote:
> > I would use dried peaches though and not fresh because you
> > don't want to introduce that much moisture.
>
> I just had another thought -- what of those "dessicant packs" that
> sometimes come in boxes containing other merchandise, to keep moisture
> away from the merchandise? Would those be useful in storing Puerh or
> would the dessicant somehow contaminate the tea? (I have no idea what's
> in those little packets)
>
>
> stePH


That would be equally bad. I too went down that road once until I dug
into it. To age puerh you want conditions that are comfortable for
humans. Around 70% humidity more or less. Dessicant can easily acheive
conditions that are too dry. Many puerh experts even recommend
following the seasons, ie alternating high and low temp/humidty to
simulate the natural conditions of the four seasons, as being the best
way to age puerh.

Mike

www.pu-erh.net

stePH > wrote:
>> I would use dried peaches though and not fresh because you
>> don't want to introduce that much moisture.
>
>I just had another thought -- what of those "dessicant packs" that
>sometimes come in boxes containing other merchandise, to keep moisture
>away from the merchandise? Would those be useful in storing Puerh or
>would the dessicant somehow contaminate the tea? (I have no idea what's
>in those little packets)

It's silica gel. And the problem with it is that it absorbs all free
moisture, which may dry the tea out too much. But I have seen the
Japanese pack it with tea before.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

(Scott Dorsey) writes:

> stePH > wrote:
> >> I would use dried peaches though and not fresh because you
> >> don't want to introduce that much moisture.
> >
> >I just had another thought -- what of those "dessicant packs" that
> >sometimes come in boxes containing other merchandise, to keep moisture
> >away from the merchandise? Would those be useful in storing Puerh or
> >would the dessicant somehow contaminate the tea? (I have no idea what's
> >in those little packets)
>
> It's silica gel. And the problem with it is that it absorbs all free
> moisture, which may dry the tea out too much. But I have seen the
> Japanese pack it with tea before.

Right, but the packers of Sencha aren't aiming for slow microbial
fermentation like the packers of Puerh.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

> Right, but the packers of Sencha aren't aiming for slow microbial
> fermentation like the packers of Puerh.

Packers of Puerh, Lew? All I've ever seen is a loose bit of thin paper!

(Heh, couldn't resist being just a tiny part of this thread ... the
makings of a tiny artificial gem).

writes:

> > Right, but the packers of Sencha aren't aiming for slow microbial
> > fermentation like the packers of Puerh.
>
> Packers of Puerh, Lew? All I've ever seen is a loose bit of thin paper!

That was my point: Puerh's packaging is designed for air flow
including, of course, air-borne moisture.

> (Heh, couldn't resist being just a tiny part of this thread ... the
> makings of a tiny artificial gem).

Your prose is, as always, lapidary.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Repetition of 'tiny' ... sigh