{"product_id":"d154","title":"Zhenkang Ripe Pu-erh Tea 2022","description":"\u003cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; font-size: .9em; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 30px 10px 12.5px 10px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003e\n        Raw Pu-erh tea is a delicate tea that is fruity and fresh, like freshly made white wine. It has no bitterness or astringency, making it very popular with children.\n    \u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003e\n        When you think of Pu-erh tea, you might imagine a tea with a brown liquor and the flavor of dried mushrooms or dried fruits, but that is a type of Pu-erh called ripe Pu-erh.\n    \u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003ca style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"..\/pages\/about-raw-pu-erh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\n    \u003cdiv style=\"padding: 15px 0; font-size: .9em; background-color: #cfcfcf; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\n        Difference Between Raw and Ripe Pu-erh Tea \u0026gt;\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"border: 1px solid #ddd; font-size: .9em; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 30px 10px 12.5px 10px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-weight: bold;\"\u003e\n        High-quality ripe Pu-erh tea is never moldy.\n    \u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003e\n        Some people dislike ripe tea because it smells like \"old furniture,\" \"rotten wood,\" or \"mold,\" but moldy aromas indicate poor quality tea with fermentation issues. High-quality tea should evoke a certain level of emotion when tasted. HOJO conducts extensive tasting to ensure we introduce only the best quality teas.\n    \u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003cdiv style=\"padding: 15px 0; font-size: .9em; background-color: #cfcfcf; text-align: center;\"\u003e\n        \u003ca style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"..\/pages\/about-ripe-pu-erh\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAbout Ripe Pu-erh Tea \u0026gt;\u003c\/a\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe buy tea leaves from a very remote growing area, aiming for a tea suited for everyday drinking. \u003cimg height=\"420\" width=\"630\" alt=\"Hand holding a wrapped Zhenkang 2022 tea cake\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_5373.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10135\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eZhenkang County, on the Border with Myanmar\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis tea was made in Zhenkang County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province. Zhenkang is the westernmost county in Lincang and borders Myanmar. The county seat (the equivalent of a prefectural capital in Japan) is in Nan San, a town in the border area, and it plays an important role as a hub for border trade. After Nan San, the most economically active town is Feng Wei, in northeastern Zhenkang. Feng Wei is high in altitude and covered in mountains, and tea growing is widespread there. It has many ancient tea trees in particular and is widely known as a tea-producing area. Ethnic minority villages are scattered around it, mainly Lahu, Yi and Wa, and traditional culture and ways of life are still alive there. For reference, in China, prefecture-level cities sit under provinces, and counties and districts sit under those. Below them are towns (zhen) and townships (xiang); a zhen is equivalent to a town in Japan and a xiang to a village. Under towns and townships are villages and communities (shequ). For example, Lincang City in Yunnan Province contains Zhenkang County, which contains the town of Nan San. China's administrative divisions are layered like this, from province down to village. Lincang City covers about 24,469 square kilometers. That is larger than the whole of Shikoku (about 18,800 square kilometers) and a little smaller than Kyushu (about 36,800 square kilometers). It is a single regional city in China, yet its area is comparable to a whole region of Japan. \u003cimg height=\"420\" width=\"630\" alt=\"Forested mountain slope overlooking a sea of clouds\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_8984.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10143\"\u003e \u003cimg height=\"420\" width=\"630\" alt=\"Tea trees and mountains above a sea of clouds\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_8989.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10141\"\u003e \u003cimg height=\"420\" width=\"630\" alt=\"Tree in white blossom on a mountain slope\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_2216.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10136\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eGoing Deep into Remote Areas for Reasonably Priced Tea\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo offer high quality ripe Pu-erh tea at an affordable price, we paid particular attention to transport links in the producing region. Even within Lincang, areas with well maintained roads and easy access from nearby cities attract more visitors, which tends to drive up tea prices. Feng Wei Town, on the other hand, is about eight hours by car from the nearest airport. By sourcing tea from mountain villages even farther beyond the town, we were able to pay relatively less than we would for tea of comparable quality from other regions.\u003cbr\u003eAt the homes of ethnic minority farmers, we were served a mysterious drink instead of tea: homemade baijiu, which they had brewed and distilled themselves, then infused with mountain herbs. \u003cimg height=\"420\" width=\"630\" alt=\"Rooftop of a building in the mountains above clouds\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_8982.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10142\"\u003e \u003cimg height=\"420\" width=\"630\" alt=\"Concrete mountain path leading toward a sea of clouds\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_9002-3.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10139\"\u003e \u003cimg height=\"420\" width=\"630\" alt=\"Hand pouring a drink from a large jar into small cups\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_2519.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10137\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eMade from Tea Grown Without Pesticides or Fertilizer\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZhenkang Ripe Pu-erh 2022 uses leaves from ancient trees over 100 years old, harvested in a tea garden at 2,000 m altitude in Feng Wei. It has the clarity that comes from leaves grown without fertilizer or pesticides, and a long lingering aftertaste. It was produced at a small factory in the mountains. As it ages the aroma and flavor should grow, with a sweet dried fruit note, and the taste should become gentler and more mellow. \u003cimg height=\"420\" width=\"630\" alt=\"Front surface of a dark brown compressed tea cake\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_5381-1.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10133\"\u003e \u003cimg height=\"420\" width=\"630\" alt=\"Back of a compressed tea cake with a center dent\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_5388.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10134\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor more on how ripe Pu-erh is fermented, compressed, and aged, see \u003ca href=\"..\/pages\/about-ripe-pu-erh\"\u003eAbout Ripe Pu-erh Tea\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 style=\"letter-spacing: 2px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e8e9eb; padding-bottom: 12px;\"\u003e\n    Focus on Sourcing Naturally Cultivated Tea\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cimg alt=\"A woman in a yellow jacket reaching into a tea tree to pluck leaves\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_1207_417cac31-feef-474b-8429-501636b4b2b6.jpg?v=1727852439\" width=\"630\"\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n    Since 2010, we have been visiting Yunnan Province every spring. Over the years, we have built connections with many famous tea regions. However, our focus is not on a region's fame, but rather on tea with transparency and a long-lasting aftertaste. To achieve this, we focus on remote mountain villages, selecting tea gardens with ancient tea trees, high altitudes, and no fertilizers, sourcing through unique logistics channels. For more details, please visit the following page.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding: 25px 0; font-size: .9em; background-color: #cfcfcf; text-align: center; margin-top: 30px; margin-bottom: 30px; color: #0000ff;\"\u003e\n    \u003ca href=\"..\/pages\/aftertaste\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eBeyond Fame: In Pursuit of Teas with a Long-Lasting Aftertaste\u003cspan style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003e\u0026gt;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n    In Yunnan, teas claiming to be from famous regions are produced in thousands of locations using leaves from other areas, and can be found everywhere—from airports and convenience stores to supermarkets.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n    What complicates matters is the surprising phenomenon where imitation teas made from leaves in remote areas are of higher quality than the genuine articles. This is especially common with Pu-erh teas from Lincang, and it is a well-known fact among professionals involved in local sourcing. For more details, please visit the following page.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding: 25px 0; font-size: .9em; background-color: #cfcfcf; text-align: center; margin-top: 40px; margin-bottom: 40px; color: #0000ff;\"\u003e\n    \u003ca href=\"..\/pages\/famous_area\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eFamous Tea Regions Where Imitation Is the Norm\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n    In Yunnan Province, there are long-established brands like Dayi and Zhongcha. These brands are renowned because their teas produced before 1990 are highly valued.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n    So why are these older teas considered special? Many people assume it is due to long aging, but in reality, the tea leaves used at that time were naturally grown without fertilizers, resulting in their superior quality.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n    Therefore, even if current teas are aged for a long time, they will not reach the same quality. For more information, please visit the following page.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding: 25px 0; font-size: .9em; background-color: #cfcfcf; text-align: center; margin-top: 40px; margin-bottom: 40px; color: #0000ff;\"\u003e\n    \u003ca href=\"..\/pages\/pu-erh_brand\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\"\u003eChanges in the Quality of Famous Tea Brands: Then and Now\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HOJO Tea","offers":[{"title":"50g (small bag\/small portion of cake)","offer_id":45618962989232,"sku":"d154ca","price":1600.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true},{"title":"200g (cake)","offer_id":45618963022000,"sku":"d154cc","price":5900.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true},{"title":"1,000g value pack (5 pieces of cake)","offer_id":45618963054768,"sku":"d154cv","price":23800.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_5373.jpg?v=1769752407","url":"https:\/\/hojotea.com\/en\/products\/d154","provider":"お茶の専門店HOJO \/ HOJO CO., LTD.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}