Loose Pu'er: Tea That Isn't Pressed
Not all pu'er has to be pressed into cakes. Open a tea canister and find loose, twisted leaves inside, and that can be pu'er too. This is "loose tea" (sancha).
What Is Loose Pu'er?
Loose pu'er is pu'er that hasn't been steamed and pressed into shape. Under the national standard for pu'er, the tea is divided into raw and ripe, and ripe tea is further divided into loose ripe tea and compressed ripe tea. Raw tea is mainly compressed; unpressed raw tea is generally sold as sun-dried maocha or loose raw tea.
So when people talk about "loose pu'er" day to day, they usually mean loose ripe tea. It's the finished product of ripe tea that has gone through wodui, drying, and sieving into grades, then packed as is.
Grades of Loose Ripe Tea
The national standard divides loose ripe tea into special grade, grade 1, grade 2, and so on up to grade 10, for 11 grades in all:
- Special grade and low-numbered grades: many buds, fine and tight leaves, silky liquor.
- Middle grades: mainly one bud with two or three leaves, balanced taste.
- High-numbered grades: sturdy leaves, full-bodied liquor with noticeable sweetness.
Grade reflects how tender the material is, not how good it tastes. Some people love the silkiness of tender grades; others love the sweetness and staying power of sturdier ones. The characteristics of each grade are covered in Grades of Loose Ripe Pu'er: Palace, Special, and Grades 1 to 10.
What Is Palace Loose Tea?
"Palace pu'er" and "palace loose tea" are trade names on the market, generally meaning loose ripe tea with lots of buds, fine and tender leaves, and dry leaf of a golden-brown or reddish-brown color. It's often marketed with the story that the Qing court favored fine, tender tribute tea. It isn't a grade name in the national standard, and different producers' "palace" grades aren't exactly the same level.
Palace loose tea is known for a bright red liquor, a silky mouthfeel, and low bitterness and astringency, but its liquor is often a bit thinner than sturdier grades and it doesn't last quite as many infusions.
Loose Tea or Cakes: Which Is Better?
Neither is better; it depends on how you'll use it:
| Loose tea | Cakes (compressed tea) | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting at it | Scoop and use, no prying | Needs prying, sometimes crumbles |
| Releasing flavor | Fast, full from the first few infusions | Slower, depends on compression |
| Volume | Bulky, takes up space | Compact, easy to store |
| Storage | Changes faster, picks up odors more easily | Changes more steadily |
| Transport | Breaks easily, doesn't like pressure | Sturdy |
| Best for | Daily drinking, brewing in quantity, boiling | Collecting, long-term storage |
Most pu'er is pressed into cakes for historical reasons tied to transport and storage. See Compressed vs. Loose: Why Most Pu'er Is Pressed.
How to Store Loose Tea
Loose tea has loose leaves with a lot of surface exposed to air, so it needs more care:
- Containers: ceramic jars, paper canisters, or thick paper bags all work. To keep the aroma in the short term, use a canister with a better seal.
- Dryness: keep it somewhere dry, ventilated, and out of the light, and protect it from damp during the plum rain season.
- No odors: keep it away from the kitchen, perfume, wardrobes, and camphor. Loose tea absorbs smells most easily of all.
- Quantity: buy only as much as you'll drink in a few months.
- Keep raw and ripe apart: don't put different kinds of tea in the same jar.
For choosing containers, see Choosing Storage Containers.
How to Brew Loose Tea
Loose tea releases flavor quickly, so watch your timing:
- Gaiwan: 6–7 grams in 110 ml, boiling water at 100°C, rinse once or twice, then pour off the first few infusions after just 5–10 seconds.
- Large mug: 3–4 grams in a 500 ml mug, steep in boiling water for 1–2 minutes and pour off.
- Boiling: sturdier grades of loose ripe tea are especially good for boiling, with full sweetness.
The differences in brewing loose and compressed tea are covered in Loose vs. Compressed: How Brewing Differs.
Judging Loose Tea by Appearance
When choosing loose ripe tea, start by pouring some dry leaf onto white paper:
- Leaves: even and uniform in size, with few broken bits.
- Color: reddish brown or a lustrous brown with a sheen; bud-rich tea shows golden tips.
- Cleanness: no debris and no obvious piles of stems.
- Smell: a clean ripe or aged aroma, with no pungent sourness or mustiness.
Appearance is only the first step. In the end you have to brew it and see whether the liquor is bright red and the spent leaf soft and springy.
FAQ
What is loose pu'er? Pu'er that hasn't been steamed and pressed into shape. In everyday use, the term usually means loose ripe tea.
Is loose tea worse than cakes? No. Loose tea is convenient and releases flavor quickly, which suits daily drinking; cakes are compact and suit long-term storage.
What is palace loose tea? A trade name for loose ripe tea with lots of buds and fine, tender leaves. It's not a grade name in the national standard.
How should loose tea be stored? In a ceramic jar or paper canister somewhere dry, ventilated, dark, and odor-free, ideally finished within a few months.