The so-called Tea cooking method refers to brewing and then drinking the tea. Directly placing the tea in a pot to cook it was the most common way of drinking tea in China before the Tang Dynasty. There are records about the tea cooking process in Lu Yu's The Classic of Tea.
Pu'er Ripened Tea Cooking Method Steps
To start cooking the tea, prepare the necessary tools. For beginners just starting with Pu'er tea, a glass Teapot is recommended as it is both economical and practical, and also allows for observing changes in the color of the tea broth, which helps determine the right time to pour it out.
Next, prepare 8 to 10 grams of ripened Pu'er. Rinse it first using a lidded bowl, or you can steep it a few times before cooking.
Finally, begin the actual cooking process by heating the water until it is gently boiling, then add the prepared ripened tea. Once the water in the pot starts boiling completely and the tea broth darkens, you can pour it out.
Note that when cooking tea, it is recommended to pour out only half or two-thirds of the first batch of tea broth to drink, leaving the rest in the pot. Continue adding boiling water to the pot to reheat. This process can be repeated 3-4 times.
The specific tea-to-water ratio for cooking can be adjusted according to your taste preferences. In principle, it is better to use less rather than more tea; too much will make the tea too strong and affect its flavor. You can also add a bit of aged Tangerine Peel to cook together. The fragrance of the tangerine peel intertwines with the sweet richness of the ripened tea, creating a smooth and rich mouthfeel with a lingering aftertaste.
Cold Water or Hot Water for Cooking?
In fact, both cold and hot water can be used for cooking, though the effects will be slightly different. If using cold water, use half or slightly more than half of the normal amount of tea, around 4 grams, depending on the capacity of the pot.
For the first cooking, wake up the tea with hot water first, then place it at the bottom of the pot and add cold water to heat it. You can adjust the flavor by adding jujubes, goji berries, ginseng, deer antler, cordyceps, etc., according to your taste. After the water boils, pour out half of the tea broth for everyone to enjoy, then add half the amount of water back into the pot. Repeating this process of pouring out half and adding water again will help maintain the consistency of the tea broth's flavor.
If using hot water to cook, the tea will boil faster, so the broth may not be as rich as when cooked with cold water. From another perspective, if you don't want the broth to be too strong, using hot water is best.