Pu'er Tea cakes require the assistance of tools such as a “tea knife,” “tea needle,” or “tea cone” to break them apart before brewing. Pu'er tea cakes come in two types: raw and ripe, which are compressed to different degrees of tightness and therefore require appropriate tools for breaking them apart.
The tea knife is primarily used for prying apart less tightly compressed raw Pu'er tea cakes with larger tea strands; while the tea cone and tea needle are mainly used for more tightly compressed ripe tea cakes, ripe tea bricks, and small compressed teas like tuo cha. However, in daily use, both can be used together according to the specific situation.
Steps for Prizing Apart the Tea Cake:
1. Place the tea cake flat and slowly insert the tea knife along the side edge.
2. Gradually push the tea knife into the tea cake, once inserted to a certain depth, turn it clockwise or counterclockwise to prevent breaking the tea cake into too many small pieces.
3. Slowly apply upward force with the tea knife to pry off pieces of the tea cake.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 to gradually pry apart the tea cake layer by layer. The tea cake will slowly come apart.
In actual practice, many tea enthusiasts, especially beginners, may end up breaking the tea cake into very small pieces or even into tea dust due to lack of control over strength and technique. When using a tea knife, always remember to move it up, down, left, and right to increase the area of force, making it easier to pry apart the tea cake.
Brewing Steps:
1. Boil Water
Note: Use boiling water at 95 degrees Celsius or above. The ratio of tea to water should be 1:20.
2. Warm the Teaware
Before adding the tea, rinse the teaware with hot water and discard after ten seconds. Add the tea and cover, letting it sit for a bit.
3. Pour Water at a Low Point
Pour water from the six o'clock direction, stopping when the water level reaches three centimeters from the rim of the vessel. Pour the water slowly and gently; discard the first infusion.
For the second infusion, pour water in the same manner and wait ten to fifteen seconds before Pouring out the tea, allowing the tea leaves to naturally loosen. Subsequent infusions can be poured out after about ten seconds.