{"product_id":"d94","title":"Lao Hei Zhai Raw Pu-erh Tea 2017","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\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10518\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_9830.jpg\" alt=\"A hand holding a Lao Hei Zhai 2017 raw Pu-erh tea cake in its wrapper\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\"\u003e Lao Hei Zhai is a small mountain village in Feng Qing County, Lincang, Yunnan Province, China. Feng Qing County is widely known as a production area for Yunnan black tea, but black tea production is concentrated mainly in areas relatively close to the town center. On the other hand, the county also has areas deep in the mountains where many old tea trees remain. In some of these areas, rain alone can make access from outside difficult. In recent years, cultivation with fertilizer has spread in some areas, but we introduce teas from growing environments that have been maintained without any fertilizer or pesticides. \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/d84_03.jpg\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" border=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Advantage of a Little-Known Growing Area\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn a little-known growing area, tea prices have not soared, so farmers are rarely pressed to increase production, and a relatively large number of tea gardens are kept in a near-natural state. Because the area is little known, demand is low, and as a result the environment remains free from the excessive cultivation practices of modern agriculture. The leaves are plucked only once a year and grow slowly without fertilizer or pesticides. As a result, the leaves are thick, with a high cell density, and rich in polyphenols. In fact, the polyphenol content of fertilized and unfertilized tea differs by more than three times.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHowever, once a growing area becomes well known and prices rise, farmers have an incentive to increase their income further, since the tea sells at a high price. With tea trees several hundred years old, like those used for Pu-erh tea, the number of trees cannot be increased.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, farmers turn to pruning to boost the vigor of the trees and encourage many young branches, or apply fertilizer to speed up leaf growth and increase the yield. Pruned tea trees put out many new shoots, so the harvest increases in the short term.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA larger harvest means more leaves and more leaf area, but the tissue formed and the substances accumulated in each leaf become relatively thinner, and as a result the tea tastes thin and flat. \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/d84_02.jpg\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" border=\"0\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/d84_07.jpg\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" border=\"0\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/d84_06.jpg\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" border=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Character Shaped by the Cool Highland Climate\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLao Hei Zhai Raw Pu-erh Tea comes from the mountains of Lincang. Among the Pu-erh producing regions, Lincang lies at a relatively high latitude, with lower temperatures throughout the year and an environment well suited to growing tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn general, tea trees grown at high altitude experience a large difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. During the day, strong ultraviolet light drives photosynthesis, while at night the low temperatures keep the organic compounds produced during the day from being consumed excessively, so they are more easily retained in the leaves. These conditions contribute to the taste and aroma of the tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is not widely known, but mountain vegetables also taste richer and sweeter the higher the altitude. In lower areas, spring arrives early and mountain vegetables can be gathered early. In the high mountains, spring comes about a month later, but the taste is incomparable to that of mountain vegetables from the lowlands. \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/d84_04.jpg\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" border=\"0\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/d84_05.jpg\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" border=\"0\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/d84_08.jpg\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" border=\"0\"\u003e \u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/d84_09.jpg\" alt=\"Pu-erh tea\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\" border=\"0\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow Does It Taste?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBecause this is a naturally cultivated tea, it has a long aftertaste. As you can see in the photo below, the leaves were plucked with many young buds, so the tea has a soft mouthfeel and a distinctly creamy sensation in the mouth.\u003cbr\u003eIt has already been aging for nearly 10 years and has a sweet aroma reminiscent of dried fruit, especially dried persimmons, dried figs, and raisins, making it an easy tea to enjoy even for first-time drinkers. \u003cimg class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10516\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/files\/IMG_9852-1.jpg\" alt=\"A round raw Pu-erh tea cake seen from above\" width=\"630\" height=\"420\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor more on how raw Pu-erh is made, aged, and stored, see \u003ca href=\"..\/pages\/about-raw-pu-erh\"\u003eWhat Is Raw Pu-erh Tea?\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding: 15px 0; font-size: .9em; background-color: #cfcfcf; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003ca style=\"color: #fff;\" href=\"..\/pages\/about-aging\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAbout Tea Aging \u0026gt;\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\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":44932452253872,"sku":"d94ca","price":2100.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true},{"title":"200g (cake)","offer_id":44932452286640,"sku":"d94cc","price":8100.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true},{"title":"1,000g value pack (5 pieces of cake)","offer_id":44932452319408,"sku":"d94cv","price":32400.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0774\/6224\/products\/d84_head.jpg?v=1737905706","url":"https:\/\/hojotea.com\/en\/products\/d94","provider":"お茶の専門店HOJO \/ HOJO CO., LTD.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}