Poppies and Pu Erh

As the weather has been wonderfully pleasant and actually summery, my boyfriend and I have been traipsing the city of Lincoln, enjoying the sights and the sun. This included a trip to the top of the (dread and so aptly named) Steep Hill, to go to the Castle to see the Poppy Wave installation, which is only there for a limited time and the only place in the country to show it. These are the same poppies that were displayed at the Tower of London in 2014 to mark the centenary of the Great War. There are significantly fewer poppies at Lincoln than were in London, but it's still a poignant display. It does not quite take the breath away such as the London display (where every poppy represented a fallen soldier; it was heart wrenching), but it's still sorrowfully beautiful; the large red wave cascading down from the castle walls like a river of spilt blood.

It is worth seeing if you get the chance, and it was such a lovely day to walk around Lincoln Castle parapets.

Of course, you're probably all wondering what poppies have to do with tea? Well, also at the top of Steep Hill is one of my favourite shops and, after the journey in the heat up that damnable street, well, it would have been rude not to go in. We went up to see poppies and came down with tea.

I not only treated myself to some Pu Erh Mini Tuo Cha (as my collection was severely lacking in Pu Erh) but also to a delightful teapot and teacup set; English style, rather than Japanese this time! I have been after another single serve English style teapot for a while now.

Just look at it, isn't it wonderful? It still has the Japanese feel with the pink cherry blossoms picked out on it, but it looks more at home with my English style teapots (despite its style being termed 'Aladin'; it does look a little like a magic lamp, huh?). It's by a company called Tea Logic who, surprisingly, are German! However, upon pouring it the first time, ah, yes. There's that brilliant German design; this teapot does not drip. It pours smoothly and evenly, it's light and easy to hold without risk of burning the fingers. Without a doubt, I am so pleased I bought this teapot and would definitely buy from Tea Logic again if their other products meet the same standards.

I love it.

This teapot was definitely worth every penny. Which brings me to my next purchase; the Pu Erh. Pu Erh, which hails from the Yunnan province, is different from many other teas because it is fermented.  This is also where things can get a bit confusing, due to tea, being such a wonderfully global phenomenon, has no universal standards and, despite being one plant, has several rich and diverse cultures surrounding it.

Pu Erh is a black tea. Ah, yes! Black tea, just like our good old English Breakfast, the most oxidised of all teas (more so than oolong, green or white!). It's the base of your PG Tips, your Twinnings, add a splash of milk and two sugars (heathens). Well, yes. Black tea is any highly oxidised tea. Just not in China. In China, this is 'hong cha' (红茶), or, literally, 'red tea', named after the colour of the liquor (as opposed to green tea). In China, black tea (or hei chá (黑茶), meaning 'dark' or 'black tea') is fermented tea, rather than highly oxidised tea. So while both Pu Erh and Assam are black teas, it means something entirely different, given the region and culture they come from.

Tea is complex stuff, you know.

Now that we've established what Pu Erh is, I suppose I should probably explain the Mini Tuo Cha bit. Pu Erh, rather than being packaged and sold loose, is pressed into 'cakes' or 'bricks'. Each shape has a different name; Tuo Cha (沱茶) refers to a little 'bowl' shape, rounded on one side and flat with a convex hollow on the other. 'Cha' simply means 'tea' in Chinese, while it is believed that the 'Tuo' originates from the Tuo River, which is an old shipping and trading route for tea. Tuo Cha can come in many different sizes, any where from a weightless 3g, to the much bulkier 3kg; my particular Tuo Cha comes in small, single serve cakes (all individually wrapped), weighing in at less than 10g a piece. This tiny size is where the 'mini' comes from (finally, something that did not require a grandiloquent explanation). So there you have it! Pu Erh Mini Tuo Cha; fermented tea from the Yunnan province, pressed into minuscule bowl shaped 'cakes'.

So what do I think of the Pu Erh Mini Tuo Cha? Well, I initially decided to brew it in one of my glass teapots as I was intrigued to see what happened to the 'cake'. Spoiler; it disintegrates immediately. There is no languid unfurling of leaves or a paced steep, which darkens little by little. No. The minute the water hits, those fermented leaves are flying everywhere; and, on top of that, the brew itself is some of the darkest I have ever encountered (truly, I understand why it is black tea). In short; despite using a glass teapot I could see a grand total of bugger all. Just murky depths that could give the Dead Marshes a run for their money (and, knowing me, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if something dead accidentally wound up in a teapot of mine; hey, Skeldon, I have your phalanges*).

*To clarify for those who are not so well acquainted with me; I did a forensic BSc/MSc and have a medical skeleton hanging around in my living room and have done for over ten years. He's a bro, though.

After the 2-5 minutes of recommended brew time (according to my tea chart) I poured the pitch black liquor into my tea cup. The aroma is earthy, perhaps even a little 'muddy'. The taste is exceedingly complex., with different flavours rolling over the tongue; the flavours reminds me of late Autumn, when the leaves have already fallen and a frost is just biting the air. It's strong and robust without any of the astringency of over steeped tea. It took me a while (two of three brews!) to figure out what the Pu Erh reminds me of, when I realised it has a very peaty taste. This surprised me; as a whiskey drinker, I do not like the peaty flavours, much preferring the malts. But since realising it, the Pu Erh is unmistakably peaty and it is wonderful. Although I have been drinking this throughout August, I feel that this would be the perfect tea to drink when coming home from a bitter cold day, curling up with a book in front of the fire to revive icy fingers and toes.

Pu Erh is truly a delight. It is not a tea I would recommend to everyone, however. It's not sweet in the slightest (it's very savoury), which I'm sure would be a deal breaker for some. As I previously mentioned, it's also potent, which may not appeal to those who prefer subtle, delicate flavours found in teas such as Darjeeling or Jasmine. However, if you enjoy peaty whiskys, strong tea or the taste of Autumn I would definitely recommend Pu Erh. I will definitely look at buying some different varieties of Pu Erh, including green (let's just make it more confusing, a green black tea?!). For now, however, I am content with my new teapot and this delicious find.