Hong Kong Shu Pu'er Set

This product is aged and prepared by Hong Kong people for Hong Kong people.
This series of aged Shu is the main product of Fukien Tea Shop, a third-generation, old-style small Hong Kong tea shop in the historical Sheung Wan district. For the past seven decades, Fukien has supplied the city’s inhabitants with their traditional teas. Fukien takes care of sourcing the tea from Yunnan and storing it in their warehouse in Hong Kong.

Before selling the tea, they break the cakes into pieces, as Hongkongonese prefer having pieces to brew for convenience. So they don't have to break the cakes by themselves. Fukien also removes powder and small pieces of leaves using a woven tray.

Local tea drinkers drink little Sheng or other green or light tea. They say it's bad for their stomach. They favour Shu Pu'er, extremely roasted Oolongs and—to a lesser extent—other types of Heicha. With this series, Nannuoshan brings to the Western World a piece of Hong Kong tradition. Drink tea like a Hong Kong local.

It's a paradox! Shu Pu'er was created to shorten the maturing time of Sheng Pu'er, which can take years and often even decades. This approach from the 1980s can now either be described as a blatant failure or a brilliant success. Why a failure? Quite simply because the resulting tea rarely tasted like a long and naturally ripened Sheng. Why a success? Well, because the result generated a new, unique category of Pu'er, the Shu, which is translated as „cooked" or „ripe"—and that after a production period of only around eight weeks.

To further add to the paradox, it soon emerged that (high-quality) Shu Pu'er can also benefit from long maturation. As a result, fans of Yunnan leaves now have two different types of Pu'er to choose from, both undergoing considerable changes in their flavor profile over the years. 

This tasting set provides an optimal overview of the different stages of ripening. It also comes from Hong Kong, a place highly regarded by tea collectors for its optimal microclimate.

If you’re curious about what a traditional Hong Kong tea shop looks like, check out these two videos from our YouTube channel where Gabriele visits Fukien Tea Company.