Sidpa - Blended Shu Puer Cake

Sidpa is the completion of our three part shu* puer cake series and is the third and final bardo of the afterlife, where it is said that the soul begins its journey into the next life.

For the previous two cakes we made, we worked through friends in Menghai with connections to local shu puer makers, to curate a selection of loose leaf teas for those cakes. However, during the week spent in Yunnan this year we decided to try something different; by spending two days in Menghai dedicated to drinking through dozens of shu puers from as many makers that we could sit with. 

Although there are plenty of romantic notions to the idea of sampling shu puer (in arguably the most famous area for puer) that we wouldn't want to disavow you of, after sitting down to drink your fifteenth gaiwan of mediocre young shu for the day, with more to drink on the horizon, you might begin to reconsider your purpose. 

While there are opportunities to buy older shu puer in Menghai that have been pressed into cakes, finding any shu puer loose over 12 years is tough to do. For us, this really hammered home the purpose of this area; to make tea and export it out of Yunnan as quickly as possible. Unlike Kunming, or other areas outside of Yunnan, Menghai is not in the game of aging loose puer to sell at later date.  

Interestingly enough, the tea we found to use for this blend was the first tea we tried on the first day. It was made by the Zou family, that moved to Yunnan from Hunan several decades back to get into the rubber industry.  When that industry went thankfully bust, they turned to making shu puer. We asked for their oldest tea that they had and it was between a 2015 Bulang and 2015 Bada Shan. The Bulang was an immediate favorite, but the Bada was good enough to consider as well.

After repeated cuppings and multiple blend recipes, we ended up deciding that less is more. We blended the 2015 Bulang with a little bit of a shu puer that started it all off for us, a 2019 Guo Gan, resulting in a potent cake with notes of cola, cocoa powder and tempeh.

While this year's visit will certainly affect the direction of next year's trip and ripple through trips beyond, tea culture in China is forever evolving, so you never set foot in the same river twice.  All you can do is step into the shop in front of you and prepare to drink the next tea. 

* - (AKA shou, ripe, cooked)

Tea - 2015 Bulang blended with 2019 Gou Gan

Maker - Zou Shi Cha Ye

Material - Xiao Shu (small tree, 50-60 years old)

Location - Zhang Jia San Dui, Bulang Shan, Menghai, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province & Gou Gan, Myanmar

Pressed in Menghai September 2026

BREWING INSTRUCTIONS

• Gong Fu - This tea works great in both porcelain and semi porous vessels.   Since it is a cake, we recommend breaking off a piece and separating the leaf gently with your hands.  Fill about a third of the vessel with dry leaf.  Grandpa style is possible, but with the recommendation of less is more.
• Western - We strongly believe that this tea is best suited for Gong Fu style brewing.  If you are not familiar, yet still interested in this tea, we suggest doing a little research on equipment needed and overall brew philosophy before jumping in.