What is Pu-erh and Blooming Tea

Two of the teas we carry that always seem to get people curious are our blooming tea and tangerine pu-erh.

They are completely different teas, but that's part of what I love about them. One is delicate and floral, while the other is rich, earthy and bright with citrus.

Blooming Tea

Blooming tea, also called flowering tea, is made by carefully bundling tea leaves and flowers together by hand. The bundle is shaped into a small ball and dried.

When you place it in hot water, the leaves slowly open and the flowers inside bloom. It's one of those teas where watching it brew is part of the experience.

Our blooming tea comes from Yunnan, China, a region with a long history of tea production. Yunnan is also home to some of the world's oldest tea-growing traditions.

Blooming teas became popular outside China as people started discovering them through specialty tea shops and gift sets. It's easy to understand why. You get to enjoy the tea itself, but you also get this beautiful little display happening right in your teapot.

The flavour is usually light, smooth and floral, although it depends on the particular flowers and tea leaves used.

For me, this is a tea that's perfect when you want to slow down a little. Put it in a glass teapot, pour in the hot water and actually watch your tea open.

Tangerine Pu-erh

Our tangerine pu-erh comes from Xinhui in Guangdong, China.

Pu-erh itself is known for its earthy, smooth and deep flavour. For tangerine pu-erh, the tea is placed inside a dried tangerine peel, allowing the tea and citrus to develop together.

The result is very different from a typical citrus tea.

You get the earthy, mellow character of pu-erh, followed by the bright aroma of tangerine. It's rich without being overwhelmingly heavy, and the citrus gives it a really nice lift.

Xinhui is particularly well known for its dried tangerine peel, called chenpi, which has been used in Chinese food and traditional practices for generations. Combining it with pu-erh has become a popular way to enjoy these two ingredients together.

I think tangerine pu-erh is one of those teas that surprises people. If you've never tried pu-erh before, the citrus makes it a little more approachable, while you still get that distinctive earthy character.

Two Very Different Tea Experiences

What I love about these two teas is that they show just how different tea can be.

Our Yunnan blooming tea is floral, delicate and beautiful to watch as it opens.

Our Xinhui tangerine pu-erh is earthy, smooth and citrusy, with a much deeper flavour.

They're completely different experiences, and that's exactly what makes exploring tea so much fun.

You never really know what you're going to find in the next cup.