Yi Bang Ancient Tree Raw Pu-erh Cake Tea

Yibang Pu'erh tea, is likely familiar to many. This cake from TeaVivre is made from the spring leaves of ancient trees over 200 years old. Its fragrance is unique and rich, interwoven with the freshness of flowers and the subtle aroma of fruit. A closer sniff seems to transport one to the ancient and mysterious forests of Yibang. Upon the first taste, the tea broth glides silkily through the mouth, with a soft and delicate flavor, carrying a slight bitterness. The aftertaste quickly becomes sweet and stimulates saliva, leaving a lasting impression. Looking forward to its transformation as it ages!

	Cup Method		Chinese Gongfu Method
	Teacup: 12oz / 355ml		Gaiwan: 3.8oz / 110ml
	203℉ / 95℃		203℉ / 95℃
	4g		8g
	Brewing time: 3 - 5 mins		10 steeps: rinse, 10s, 10s, 15s, 15s, 15s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 60s, 80s

Yibang Ancient Tea Mountain is a world-renowned birthplace of pu'erh tea and was the political, economic, and pu'erh tea distribution center of the Ancient Six Tea Mountains during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Yibang tea region has a significant altitude difference, with the highest point at the temple reaching 1950 meters. To this day, it still preserves a total area of 2950 mu (about 197 hectares) of ancient tea gardens. The ancient tea trees here are densely branched, vine-like, with tree heights ranging from 3 to 7 meters and trunk circumferences between 30 and 100 centimeters. The high mountain and deep valleys of Yibang's ancient tea mountains, crisscrossed by rivers, with its humid climate, abundant sunshine, and frequent winter fogs, provide all the material and natural conditions necessary for the growth of tea trees.

A born-and-bred Yunnan farmer, Mr. Zhou has been avidly contributing to the tea business for more than 20 years. A short chat with him made his passion for using traditional tea crafting processes apparent.

He values the essential quality inside the tea leaves, and says that his experience comes from spending most of his time in the tea gardens along the mountains.

Mr. Zhou is passionate about bringing out that internal quality of the tea to share with tea lovers around the world - and also claims that the best environment for growing the perfect tea is in Fengqing.

At the 14th Chinese Tea Industry Economic Annual Conference in 2021, Mr. Zhou won the honorary title of "National Tea Craftsman -- Tea Master".

Yibang Mountain is located in the northernmost part of Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, bordered by Manzhuan Tea Mountain (蛮砖) to the south, Gedeng Tea Mountain (革登) to the west, and Yiwu Tea Mountain (易武) to the east. The entire region consists of high-altitude mountain ranges, with a terrain that is lofty and majestic, towering above the Six Mountains. The tea planting history of Yibang Ancient Tea Mountain is long and can be traced back to the 3rd century BC. The tea trees on this land thrive, with some being several hundred to even a thousand years old. The tea mountain is surrounded by dense forests, with fresh air and high oxygen content, making it an ideal place for people to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and find tranquility.

This pu-erh tea is made from the large-leaf subspecies of the Yunnan large-leaf. It propagates sexually and takes the form of an arbour tree, meaning that it can grow to over six meters tall. 1984, the Fengqing large-leaf species was certified by the Chinese government as a national grade. It contains an abundance of tea polyphenols (30.2%) and catechins (13.4%), as well as 2.9% amino acids and 3.2% caffeine.

Pu-erh tea is one of the oldest types of tea in China, with a history stretching back over 1,700 years to the Eastern Han Dynasty, when the tea was called Jing Cha. Pu-erh is named after the town of Pu’er in Yunnan province, which was the original trading center of this tea. In its early history, this tea was actually used as bartering currency in southwest China, where the famed Cha Ma Gu Dao, “Tea Horse Road”, was built for the sole purpose of transporting it through the Himalayas to other countries and areas in Tibet.