Ripe Pu-erh with Aged Tangerine Peel
Dark cocoa, dried citrus and earthy sweetness: ripe pu-erh meets the peel of aged tangerines.
Ripe pu-erh from Yunnan is paired with chenpi, sun-dried and aged tangerine peel from Guangdong. The pu-erh brings dark cocoa, earth and date; the peel adds a dried-citrus lift and a little sweetness. Brewed hot, at 98°C.
Sensory profile
You should taste
How it unfolds
Where it sits
That is 60 mg in one serving (8 oz cup (240ml)), a concentration of 25 mg per 100 ml. The scale above ranks whole servings, and servings differ in size, so a larger drink can sit further right while being weaker cup for cup.
Editorial estimate, not a laboratory measurement
Related gear
| Brewing method | Gaiwan or Mug |
|---|---|
| Brew ratio | 1:20 |
| Leaf & water per infusion | 5g → 100g |
| Grind size | Loose Ripe Pu-erh with Peel Pieces |
| Water temperature | 208°F / 98°C |
| Target brew time | 15 seconds for the first infusion, plus about 10 seconds each round |
| Serving used for caffeine | 8 oz cup (240ml) — see the mug or teapot version below |
What you need
- 5 g ripe pu-erh, loose or broken from a cake
- About 1 g aged tangerine peel (chenpi), a thumbnail-sized piece
- 100 g filtered water at 98°C
Required gear
Step-by-step protocol
- 0:00Warm the gaiwan with hot water and discard it. Add 5 g of ripe pu-erh and about 1 g of tangerine peel, and smell the warmed leaf and peel.
- 0:20Rinse twice: cover with water at 98°C, pour it off immediately, and repeat. This wakes the leaf and the peel; do not drink the rinses.
- 0:50First infusion: pour off after 15 seconds, decanting completely.
- 1:30Second infusion, 20 seconds.
- 2:20Third infusion, 30 seconds. From here add about 10 seconds each round.
- 3:15Keep going while the liquor stays dark and sweet: good leaf gives eight or more infusions.
Brewing it in a mug or teapot
The gongfu method above packs a lot of leaf into a small vessel. This version is for a 240 ml cup — the serving the caffeine figure describes.
- Leaf
- 4 g
- Water
- 240 ml
- Temperature
- 208°F / 98°C
- Steep
- about 4 minutes
- 0:00Warm the mug or teapot with hot water and pour it away.
- 0:15Add 4 g of ripe pu-erh and about 1 g of tangerine peel.
- 0:30Rinse twice: cover the leaf with water at 98°C and pour it off after a few seconds each time. Do not drink the rinses.
- 1:10Pour 240 g of water at 98°C over the leaf and peel, cover, and start the timer.
- 5:10Lift the leaf out or pour the tea off the leaf completely.
Ripe pu-erh stands up to a long steep. The same leaf and peel give a second cup at about five minutes.
Troubleshooting
What it may be good for
Caffeine, in numbers
We list about 60 mg for an 8 oz mug made with 4 g of ripe pu-erh and a little peel. The peel adds none, and published figures for pu-erh run from about 30 to 100 mg per 8 oz cup, so the figure moves with the leaf, the dose and the steep.
Rinse the peel too
Rinse the tea and the peel together twice before the first infusion, and break the peel into smaller pieces if you want a stronger citrus note.
What to watch out for
- Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you.
Ripe pu-erh from Yunnan is paired with chenpi, sun-dried and aged tangerine peel from Guangdong. The pu-erh brings dark cocoa, earth and date; the peel adds a dried-citrus lift and a little sweetness. Brewed hot, at 98°C.
Origin & Story
Chen means aged, and chenpi is aged peel: the skin of mandarin oranges, dried in the sun and kept for years. It has long been used in Chinese cooking, in dishes such as red bean soup and braised duck, and in tea, and its price climbs with its age: Xinhui peel aged ten years costs several times as much as peel aged one.
The best chenpi comes from Xinhui, a district of Jiangmen in Guangdong, where a local mandarin, Citrus reticulata 'Chachi', is grown for its peel. That is what makes this tea a meeting of two provinces: pu-erh from Yunnan in the southwest, peel from Guangdong on the southern coast.
The two come together in two ways. In one, pieces of chenpi are simply added to loose ripe pu-erh. In the other, called xiao qing gan, a small green tangerine is hollowed out, filled with ripe pu-erh, dried and aged whole, so that the oils of the peel soak into the tea over months or years.
Ripe pu-erh is the usual base because it is smooth from the start and blends well with the citrus, where raw pu-erh would fight it. The cup opens with bright citrus, then settles into earthy, woody notes with a cocoa or date-like sweetness.
Put 5 g of ripe pu-erh and a thumbnail-sized piece of peel, about 1 g, in a 100 ml gaiwan, rinse twice with water at 98°C, pour the first infusion off at about 15 seconds and add ten seconds a round; in a mug, use 4 g of tea, a small piece of peel and 240 ml of water at 98°C for four minutes.
Reading the Flavor Profile
| Axis | Score |
|---|---|
| Sweetness | 78/100 |
| Acidity | 24/100 |
| Bitterness | 38/100 |
| Body | 88/100 |
| Aroma | 90/100 |
These values are comparative editorial positions within our own catalog, calibrated so entries can be ranked against each other. They are not laboratory measurements.
How much caffeine is in Ripe Pu-erh with Aged Tangerine Peel?
One serving, 8 oz cup (240ml), contains approximately 60 mg of caffeine.
What temperature should I use for Ripe Pu-erh with Aged Tangerine Peel?
Target 98°C (208°F).
How long should Ripe Pu-erh with Aged Tangerine Peel be extracted?
Timing: 15 seconds for the first infusion, plus about 10 seconds each round. Method: Gaiwan or Mug. Ratio: 5g ripe pu-erh and 1g tangerine peel per 100ml water (gaiwan). Grind or leaf format: Loose Ripe Pu-erh with Peel Pieces.
Why does my Ripe Pu-erh with Aged Tangerine Peel taste bitter?
In gongfu, bitterness comes from pours that run too long or from too little leaf for the vessel. Keep the early infusions short, pour the tea off the leaf completely every time, and fill the gaiwan or pot generously; an under-filled vessel tastes thin and tannic rather than gentle.
What is chenpi?
Chenpi is sun-dried mandarin or tangerine peel that has been aged for years; chen means aged. It is used as a seasoning in Chinese cooking and added to tea, and the best, from Xinhui in Guangdong, is valued by its age.
What is xiao qing gan?
Xiao qing gan, or tangerine pu-erh, is a small green tangerine hollowed out, filled with ripe pu-erh, then dried and aged. You brew the whole fruit or break the peel into pieces, and the tea tastes of citrus and earth.
How many infusions can I get from ripe pu-erh with peel?
Plan on eight or more. Start with a 10 to 30 second steep and add 5 to 10 seconds a round, using water at or near the boil, and the tea stays smooth well into the later infusions.
Who should avoid Ripe Pu-erh with Aged Tangerine Peel?
Caffeine affects everyone differently. If you are pregnant or nursing, sensitive to caffeine, or have been told to limit it, check with your doctor about how much tea is right for you. This information is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, managing a cardiac or gastrointestinal condition, or taking prescription medication, discuss caffeine and botanical intake with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes.
What people say
Plain Porcelain Gaiwan, 110 ml
In this recipe: Gaiwan or small clay pot, 100–150 ml
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