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.
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.
Difference Between Raw and Ripe Pu-erh Tea >
This compressed tea cake is made from exactly the same batch of raw material, sourced and processed with the same quality.
When Dong Shan Raw Pu-erh Tea is freshly compressed into cakes, it has a more subtle flavour compared to the loose version made from the same material. However, after allowing it to rest and mature for about a year, the flavour has now developed, becoming richer, smoother, and more expressive.
In 2025, we continued working with the same producer and made tea together on site.
Near the Myanmar Border – A Hidden Land of Tea
Dong Shan Raw Pu-erh Tea is produced in Zhenkang County, located in the Lincang region of Yunnan Province, China.
Zhenkang sits right along the border with Myanmar, and from the remote tea gardens of Dong Shan, you can even catch a glimpse of the Myanmar mountains in the distance. The surrounding air is crisp and carries the distinct feel of the untouched border highlands.
Because this area is far from major cities like Kunming and still lacks modern infrastructure, it remains relatively inaccessible—which is why many tea lovers consider it one of Yunnan’s lesser-known, yet truly special tea regions.
Despite its remote location, Dong Shan is home to high-quality tea trees, and the natural environment here—untouched forests, rich biodiversity, and high elevation—creates ideal conditions for growing premium raw Pu-erh tea.
Most of the ingredients at the producer’s factory were homegrown and used in everyday cooking. The photos show Yunnan ham and a few of the dishes made with these ingredients.
Many ethnic minority groups live in the mountainous regions of Yunnan, and the tea from Dong Shan is processed by the Yi ethnic group, one of the largest indigenous communities in this area.
Interestingly, genetic research based on mitochondrial DNA has suggested that the Yi people may share ancestral links with the Jomon people—an ancient population that lived in Japan for thousands of years, long before the arrival of migrants from the Korean Peninsula.
Not Just Buying Tea — Creating the Ideal Tea Together with the Producer
In the traditional tea trade, buyers often purchase from producers or wholesalers after the tea has already been made. In many cases, they place orders remotely and choose from teas that have already been blended and finished. This means they can only select from what is available, with limited opportunity to influence how the tea is crafted. As a result, the final product largely reflects the producer’s decisions, methods, and skills.
But we take a different approach.
Instead of choosing from finished teas, we have detailed discussions with producers before the season begins, focusing on the raw materials, timing of the harvest, and production parameters. We ensure that every step, from plucking to processing, is aligned with our requirements to meet the desired outcome.
Why Do We Go to This Extent?
Because to us, tea is not just a product to buy and sell — it’s a craft, and every detail matters.
We choose this path because it gives us full control over quality, from tea trees selection to final processing. The tea reflects our vision and standards, not just what's convenient to produce. Most importantly, it allows us to offer our customers something truly unique—not just what’s available, but what is purposefully created with care and intention.
This level of commitment may be more challenging, but it’s the only way to consistently bring in teas that are of expressive quality.
For the 2024 harvest, the first batch we received had a slight issue — the temperature during the final stage of pan-frying was too high, which caused a burnt note commonly referred to as "gao xiang" (meaning "high aroma").
However, we were aiming for a cleaner, more floral flavour profile, so we immediately communicated this to the producer. After discussing and reaching a shared understanding, the producer remade the tea with the necessary adjustments—and the result matched what we had desired.
A Gentle Flavour True to Naturally Grown High Mountain Tea
Dong Shan Raw Pu-erh Tea is made from tea trees that are grown completely without pesticides or fertilisers. These trees are left to grow naturally, much like wild forest trees, and the tea garden itself is truly sustainable. Even if no one were to manage it, the landscape would likely remain the same even a hundred years from now.
Because the garden is located at high elevation, the tea trees grow very slowly. This slow growth results in a tea with a long, lingering finish and a deep, satisfying aftertaste.
After resting for a year, the tea develops a gentle floral flavour, along with light hints of citrus and grape.
Focus on Sourcing Naturally Cultivated Tea
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
