How to Make Xinhui Orange Ripened Pu-erh Tea

Recently, TeaVivre has launched a well-featured Pu-erh tea “Xinhui Green Mandarin Orange Ripened Pu-erh Tea”. Due to its cute appearance and fresh taste, it is affectionately called as “little sweetheart” by many tea lovers. (This tea is called “xiao qing gan” in Chinese, whose pronunciation is similar to “xiao xin gan”, which means “sweetheart” in English.)

Some people are curious about the making process of this interesting and delicious tea. Therefore, TeaVivre has specifically inquired Mr. Yang, the tea maker, about how to make Xinhui Green Mandarin Orange Ripened Pu-erh Tea.

Generally speaking, the mandarin trees will bloom in March and bear fruit in April, and the fruits can reach the picking standards until July or August. The workers will select the mandarin oranges which meet the picking standards to make for mandarin tea, but they will not pick them all, since the picked mandarin oranges must be made into tea within two days.

The picked mandarin oranges need to go through the processes of cleaning, classifying, opening holes, digging out the pulp, clean up the peels, fill in tea leaves, drying or baking, and then can become the green mandarin orange tea.

Cleaning

Clean up the new picked Xinhui mandarin oranges.

Classifying

Classify the mandarin oranges according to their different size with the sieving machine.

Cutting holes

Use the special tool to cut a small round hole on the top of the mandarin oranges.

Dig out the orange pulp

Dig out the mandarin pulp with a tweezers, and then scoop out cleanly the inside of the mandarin oranges with a spoon. (Ps: The pulp of the green mandarin orange cannot be eaten since they are not mature.)

Clean up the peels

The peels need to wash again in order to avoid the rest pulp or juice affecting the taste of tea.

Filling in tea leaves

After cleaned up the peels, workers will open a tiny hole on the back of the peels, it is not only convenient for drying the peels but also good for the aging of the tea.

Tea leaves cannot be directly filled into the peels, because water content of the peels is too high. So, the workers usually set the peels upside down, and let the sunlight to dry up the rest water.

After the peels dried, the workers need to fill it with tea leaves; even a skilled worker also needs at least one hour to complete a tray of mandarin orange pu-erh tea.

Drying

Usually sun exposure or baking is the method of drying mandarin oranges , by which the mandarin orange peels will become hard and crispy, and its color will turn to dark green, until now, the process is completed.

Last but not least, the tea will be carefully wrapped with tissues. And then be well-stored in boxes, its aroma of pu-erh and the fragrance of mandarin oranges will slowly penetrate each other, waiting for people who love them to open.