{"product_id":"gu-shu-shu-dragon-ball-ripe-puerh","title":"Gu Shu Dragon Ball Ripe Puerh","description":"\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eGǔ Shù Shú Dragon Balls — Ripe Pu-erh, Yunnan, 2018\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e7g each · one ball, one session\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eEight years in storage is what makes this tea worth drinking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFreshly fermented ripe pu-erh carries a damp, earthy edge from the piling process — the note that puts people off shu entirely. Time takes it away. This was fermented in 2018 and has rested since, and what’s left is clean: dark wood, dried jujube, a cool trace of camphor, and a sweetness that builds in the back of the throat across infusions. The liquor pours near-black and feels thick in the mouth. There is nothing sharp about it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe leaf is Yunnan arbor material, hand-rolled into compact 7g spheres. Rolling takes whole leaf — it can’t be done with the broken grades that disappear inside a pressed cake — and each ball is a complete session. No knife, no pick, no shards across the counter. Drop one in and go.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eComfortable, unhurried tea. Traditionally taken after a meal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eBrewing\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGongfu — the way to get the most from it\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOne ball in a 100–150ml gaiwan or small pot. Water at a full boil, 100°C.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eRinse twice, five seconds each, and discard. This wakes the tea and starts the ball opening.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThen: first three infusions around 10–15 seconds. From the fourth, as the ball loosens, 15–20 seconds, adding a few seconds each round. It will give you 12 to 15 infusions and the middle ones are the best.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSimple brewing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOne ball in a 350–500ml pot or mug. Boiling water. Rinse first, then steep 2–3 minutes. Re-steep four or five times, extending each time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll day\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOne ball in a 500ml flask, boiling water, topped up as you drink. It holds up for hours without turning bitter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWorth knowing\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe first two infusions will taste light.\u003c\/strong\u003e That’s the ball still unfurling, not a weak tea. By the third or fourth it’s fully open and at full strength. Judge it from there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStorage:\u003c\/strong\u003e somewhere cool, dark and dry, away from anything aromatic. Pu-erh takes on the smells around it. Don’t seal it airtight — it keeps developing, and it needs a little air to do so.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Zencha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58184310686078,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"AED","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0950\/8156\/2494\/files\/GuShuShuDragonBallRipePuerh2_3fd5fa8a-4cfa-4457-99f4-936eb5e32c8f.png?v=1791576171","url":"https:\/\/zencha.ae\/products\/gu-shu-shu-dragon-ball-ripe-puerh","provider":"Zencha","version":"1.0","type":"link"}