Shou Pu-erh with Ginger and Tangerine Peel
Ripe Shou pu-erh brewed with fresh ginger and dried tangerine peel: dark, earthy, and citrus-edged, the way it is served after a meal in Yunnan.
Shou (ripe) pu-erh is the post-fermented sibling of Sheng. Through a controlled pile-fermentation called wo dui, the leaves develop their iconic earthy, woody, almost mushroom-like depth and lose all of Sheng's young-tea sharpness. It's the smooth, comforting workhorse of Yunnan tea.
In Cantonese yum cha, ripe pu-erh is the default tea on the table: its smooth, low-astringency body stands up to fried and fatty dishes without turning bitter, and it can be poured for hours. This version adds fresh ginger for a warm, spicy edge and aged tangerine peel (chen pi), the dried peel that Guangdong kitchens keep for soups, sweets and tea.
The aged tangerine peel is the secret weapon. Even a small piece transforms the brew, layering bright citrus oils over Shou's woody base. If you can find authentic Xinhui chen pi, use it—but a strip of organic tangerine zest dried in the oven for 20 minutes at 60°C works in a pinch.
Brew at full boil (95–100°C) with a longer first steep than you'd give other teas (Shou can take it). Pour it after the meal, the way Cantonese tea houses do, and keep re-steeping while the conversation lasts.
Ingredients
- 5 g Shou pu-erh (loose or broken from a tuocha or cake)
- 200 ml hot water (95°C), divided
- 1 thin slice fresh ginger (about 2 cm)
- 1 small piece dried tangerine peel (chen pi), about 2 cm square
- 1 tsp brown rock sugar or honey
- 1 jujube date, pitted and halved (optional)
How to make it
- 1Rinse the Shou leaves: pour 95°C water over them in a small teapot, wait 5 seconds, then discard. Repeat once. This is essential to wash off any fermentation dust.
- 2Add ginger slice, tangerine peel, and jujube (if using) to the rinsed leaves.
- 3Pour 200 ml water at 95°C and steep for 30 seconds.
- 4Decant fully into a small pitcher. Stir in rock sugar or honey while still hot.
- 5Pour into a small cup and sip warm. Re-steep the same leaves 5–8 more times, adding 10 seconds per infusion.
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