Pu'er Tea has been popular for many years. Its rich flavor and unique aroma make it irresistible to many people, and its health benefits such as nourishment, weight loss, and tonification have made it a leader in the tea world, still widely favored by tea enthusiasts today. Pu'er tea is all about brewing techniques and the art of drinking, with a rich variety of consumption methods, including pure drinking and mixed drinking. Perhaps many people are not aware that the usually “down-to-earth” Pu'er tea can be mixed in refreshing and fashionable ways. Have you tried mixing Pu'er tea? Now let's take a look at some great companions for Pu'er tea!
Pu'er tea + Citron Peel – Tea Aroma Meets Citrus Fruit Aroma
Citron peel has been used in food and medicine since the Song Dynasty. Medicinally, citron peel can regulate Qi, strengthen the stomach, dry dampness, and expel phlegm, commonly used to treat digestive issues, soothe the liver and regulate Qi, and invigorate the spleen. In cuisine, Cantonese people have long used it in Guangdong dishes for seasoning, soups, stews, sweet desserts, and porridge, to remove fishy odors and enhance flavors, becoming a hallmark of the local health culture.
The popularity of citron Pu'er tea continues, especially “Little Green Citrons,” which are highly praised for their fresh and stylish image, becoming a favorite among tea enthusiasts. Citron Pu'er tea combines new Huizhou citron peel with Yunnan ripe Pu'er, creating a unique taste experience. The citrus fruit aroma blends into traditional ripe Pu'er tea, producing a sweet, smooth, and fragrant taste, easily enjoyed by various groups. The ripe Pu'er adds depth to the citron, while the citron gives the tea a youthful touch. These seemingly different entities, when combined, emit a charming allure. Ripe tea gives the citron a “blush,” while the citron becomes the “heart and soul” of the tea, a true synergy.
The combination of citron peel and Pu'er tea is seamless both in appearance and essence. In terms of health benefits, the warm stomach effect, blood sugar and lipid lowering properties, anti-aging and anti-radiation effects, and cardiovascular protection of ripe Pu'er tea, combined with the Qi-regulating, spleen-strengthening, digestion-improving, dampness-drying, phlegm-dispersing, liver-soothing, lung-moistening, and organ-clearing effects of Huizhou citron peel, along with its adaptability to both warming and cooling properties, results in significant health benefits, making it an excellent daily health Drink.
Pu'er tea + Lemon – Sweet and Sour Delicacy
Mixing freshly squeezed lemon juice with Pu'er tea not only enhances the freshness and crispness of the tea but also provides abundant Vitamin C, making the tea taste even more refreshing and fruity. Drinking a cup of lemon Pu'er after a hearty meal is perfect for aiding digestion.
Lemons are rich in Vitamins C and P, which can strengthen blood vessels and increase their resilience, helping prevent and treat high blood pressure and myocardial infarction. Recent foreign research has also found that green lemons contain a component similar to insulin that can lower abnormally high blood glucose levels. Combining lemons with Pu'er tea improves cellular penetration and waste removal. It can also help clear the mind and improve mental agility, making it a great choice for daily consumption.
Pu'er tea + Milk – Falling in Love with Pure Simplicity
Don't think that milk tea can only be made with black tea. Pu'er ripe tea can also create a smooth and creamy milk tea with a wonderful taste. Honey can be added to Pu'er milk tea for a sweet and warm flavor, enjoyable hot or cold, especially during summer.
Pu'er milk tea made with ripe tea can help nourish and protect the stomach, without irritating the intestines. It can also help reduce fat and eliminate greasy feelings, promoting digestion and effectively relieving indigestion and cleansing the intestines.
Pu'er tea + Various Flowers – Blooming Romance
Good tea paired with good flowers – when a variety of flowers and herbs meet Pu'er tea, they embark on a delightful journey. Each combination of flowers and herbs with Pu'er tea brings a completely different world of Pu'er tea.
When Lin Qingxuan tasted chrysanthemum Pu'er tea, he marveled, “The first person to add chrysanthemums to Pu'er tea must have been a life artist.” Chrysanthemums and Pu'er tea make the perfect pair among flowers and teas. Pu'er tea is rich, while chrysanthemums are light and refreshing; Pu'er is reserved and deep, while chrysanthemums have a clear and uplifting aroma; Pu'er is like the thick walls and high roofs of a wealthy family, while chrysanthemums are the ever-changing garden within those walls. According to Compendium of Materia Medica, chrysanthemums are cold in nature and sweet in taste, capable of clearing liver heat, improving vision, dispersing wind, and reducing fever, making them an excellent health beverage. Pu'er tea is mild, with a subtle aroma. Adding chrysanthemums breaks the staleness, enhances the aroma, enriches the taste, and elevates the sophistication, greatly benefiting health. It is worth noting that chrysanthemum Pu'er tea is particularly suitable for those with a hot constitution.
Osmanthus flowers have a positive effect on beauty and skin care and can relieve chest tightness, shortness of breath, irritability, and lack of appetite. Osmanthus Pu'er tea can refresh the mind, quench thirst, relieve heat, detoxify, and promote bowel movements, regulating gut functions and restoring normality.
According to the Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica, rose water is fragrant and slightly bland, able to harmonize blood, soothe the liver, nourish the stomach, and dispel chest stagnation. Rose petals have a very gentle medicinal property, capable of warming the heart, liver, and blood vessels, soothing internal Qi, and exerting calming, soothing, and antidepressant effects.
Jasmine has the effects of regulating Qi, lifting depression, removing unpleasant odors, and harmonizing the middle. Paired with Pu'er tea, it can detoxify, nourish the stomach, reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, eliminate fat and greasiness, and aid in weight loss and beauty.
Adding roses, jasmine, osmanthus, lavender, and other flower teas to Pu'er tea and brewing them together creates a combination where the aged fragrance of Pu'er tea is complemented by the floral aroma, making the Pu'er flower tea both rich and elegant. This not only enhances health benefits but also adds a leisurely and warm atmosphere. For tea enthusiasts who value beauty and romance, brewing a cup of Pu'er flower tea on a sunny afternoon would indeed be delightful!
This article is excerpted from
The Beauty of Mixing Pu'er
Author | Weiwei
Originally published in Pu'er Magazine
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