• HOME >
  • Types of Tea

Calling shu pu-erh tea as cooked pu-erh tea is inappropriate

[2016.01.21] Posted By

ripe pu-erh tea

We often came across customers called the Shu Pu-erh tea as “cooked pu-erh” instead of ripe pu-erh tea. Many people thought that the ripe pu-erh tea is made by cooking tea with direct heating. In fact, it is incorrect.

Shu has a few different meanings

The word in Chinese and also in Japanese used for ripe pu-erh is 熟茶. It is pronounced as “Shu” in Chinese. The word Shu carries a few different meanings as follow.

  1. Aging or Maturation
  2. Cooking/well done
  3. Processed
  4. Fermentation
  5. Get used to the things
  6. Sufficiently

In the case of ripe pu-erh tea, Shu is meant for process or fermentation. The word Shu 熟 is derived from traditional Chinese medicine. It’s often used to indicate processed herbs versus the raw material. For pu-erh tea, it is named from the process of ripe pu-erh tea which involved the fermentation of raw pu-erh tealeaf. The process of ripe pu-erh consists of two stages.

Neither cooking process nor heating process is involved

In making ripe pu-erh tea, the raw pu-erh tea is used as the material. Raw pu-erh tea is piled and soaked with moisture in order to initiate the fermentation of bacterial. In this stage, bacteria such as actinomycetes involve in fermentation. After this stage, tea is spread over on the floor in order to reduce moisture and initiate the secondary fermentation which takes place by yeast and mold. The entire fermentation process of ripe pu-erh tea takes around two months.

ripe pu-erh tea

The first fermentation

Secondary Fermentation

As you can see in the above process, there is no cooking process involved. The reason why some people call ripe pu-erh as cooked puerh is due to the misreading of the meaning of the word Shu (熟). No doubt that Shu also means cooked. But this meaning is inappropriate to be used for Shu pu-erh. In my own opinion, “ripe pu-erh” is also not really a good name to describe Shu pu-erh tea. I guess matured pu-erh tea or fermented pu-erh tea sounds more appropriate if we follow the way of process.

Related Articles

How to get the latest update on HOJO Tea?

1. Follow Twitter, 2. Click "Like" on Facebook, and 3. Subscribe in newsletter. You can have the latest tea news from HOJO Tea.

Subscribe the Newsletter to enjoy the privileges
You may receive a free sample upon purchase, or you may have the priority to purchase special products. So please remember to subscribe our newsletter as well as the social network.
HOJO TEA Malaysia online Shop

HOJO TEA Online Shop NEWSlist

Special Release Limited Set of Ancient White Tea from 5 Gardens
The ancient white tea is a very popular tea in our store. We produced this tea in spring. Following production, it was stored in an oxygen-free environment for several months to further enhance its flavor, achieving the expected maturation. The production of ancient tree white tea is limited in quantity per day, resulting in small …
The New Arrival of Da Xue Shan Wild White Tea Loose 2023
We have released the 2023 harvest of wild white tea from the Da Xue Shan. Fresh Green Colour of Leaves Achieved Through Custom Production Da Xue Shan’s wild white tea is an incredibly rare type of white tea, and it’s made from a unique plant called Camellia Taliensis that grows in the wild in the …

NEW ARTICLES

We released Lapsang Suchong Qi Zhong Classic: Premium Lapsang Souchong
Lapsang Souchong is one of the earliest known black teas distinguished by a unique production method and flavour profile. Its origins are often linked to the Wuyi Mountains in China’s Fujian province, where Lapsang Souchong is traditionally crafted. Black tea production in the Wuyi region has a history dating back several centuries. Lapsang Souchong tea …
Regular Consumption of Umami Seasoning Can Influence Taste Preferences
Excessive consumption of artificial condiments, such as umami seasonings, is believed to influence one’s taste and preferences. I’d like to share my own view to explore how an overabundance of condiments can indeed influence one’s palate. Umami Seasonings Are Prevalent in Asian Countries I spend half of the year living abroad, particularly in China and …
Special Release Limited Set of Ancient White Tea from 5 Gardens
The ancient white tea is a very popular tea in our store. We produced this tea in spring. Following production, it was stored in an oxygen-free environment for several months to further enhance its flavor, achieving the expected maturation. The production of ancient tree white tea is limited in quantity per day, resulting in small …
The New Arrival of Da Xue Shan Wild White Tea Loose 2023
We have released the 2023 harvest of wild white tea from the Da Xue Shan. Fresh Green Colour of Leaves Achieved Through Custom Production Da Xue Shan’s wild white tea is an incredibly rare type of white tea, and it’s made from a unique plant called Camellia Taliensis that grows in the wild in the …
5 Years Aged Wu Liang Shan White Tea from 2018
In 2018, we introduced the Wu Liang Shan Ancient Tree White Tea. It became an instant hit, selling out quickly due to its exquisite taste and captivating aroma.Fortunately, we had the foresight to store half of the tea in Malaysia, where the consistently high temperatures create the perfect conditions for aging. Over the past five …
Grand Reopening of Gardens’ HOJO Store: Exciting Promotions Await!
We are delighted to announce that HOJO tea shop at The Gardens Mall will be reopening after renovation on Tuesday, July 11th, 10am to 10pm. To celebrate the store’s reopening, we have prepared some special promotions for the entire month of July: 1. For every RM1000 purchase on single receipt, you will have the opportunity …
Discover the long-lasting flavor profile of 2023 Shi Feng Long Jing
We have launched the 2023 harvest of Shi Feng Long Jing tea. Shi Feng Long Jing tea, also known as Shi Feng Dragon Well tea. It is one of the most famous and highly regarded teas in China.Shi Feng Long Jing tea is characterized by its flat, spear-shaped leaves that have a vibrant green colour. …
Rare Jasmine Tea Uniquely Crafted from Ripe Pu-erh
Instead of sourcing finished jasmine tea, we specialize in producing custom-made jasmine tea by bringing our carefully selected raw materials to jasmine factories. Over the years, we have created numerous unique jasmine tea varieties that are not available elsewhere, such as Pu-erh jasmine tea made from raw Pu-erh tea leaves, Jasmine Silver Needle made from …
Introducing 3 Varieties of Phoenix Dancong Oolong Tea
We have released new types of Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea that are finished with more rounds of roasting with traditional charcoal fire by skilled tea master. In Phoenix, the locals called it Nong Xiang style, meaning that tea is giving more intense matured flavor. Nong Xiang tea refers to tea that has been roasted …
Exploring the Taste Diversity Within a Tea Tree: Apical Buds vs. Lateral Buds
Do you believe that all tea leaves have the same taste as long as they come from the same tree? I would like to explain that the taste of tea can vary significantly depending on the plucking position, even when harvested from the same tree. The Difference in Flavor Due to Different Harvesting Parts of …

PAGETOP