熟茶
Term · Classification
shou pu'er
Literal meaning
cooked / ripe tea
Definition#
Pu'er whose crude leaf has been pile-fermented (wodui): moistened and heaped so that heat and microbes rapidly darken it before sorting and pressing. The result brews dark red-brown, with low bitterness. The industrial process was developed in Yunnan state factories in the 1970s. Often shortened to 熟普 (shúpǔ).
Translation and usage#
| Language | Use | Alternatives & cautions |
|---|---|---|
| English | shou pu'er ripe pu'er pinyin with a gloss |
Also acceptable
Avoid black pu'er invites confusion with black (red) tea 红茶 aged pu'er ripeness comes from piling, not from age |
| Deutsch | Shou Pu-Erh reifer Pu-Erh (durch Wo Dui beschleunigt fermentiert) pinyin with a gloss |
Also acceptable
Avoid gereifter Pu-Erh (ohne Zusatz) some shops use it for shou, others for naturally aged sheng; ambiguous |
| Русский | шу пуэр зрелый пуэр (прошедший ускоренную ферментацию во дуй) pinyin with a gloss |
Also acceptable
Avoid шоу пуэр rare; Russian follows pinyin shú, not the Anglophone 'shou' выдержанный пуэр (as synonym) выдержка means ageing, not piling |
| 简体字 | 熟茶 | |
| 繁體字 | 熟茶 | Regional usage
|
| 日本語 | プーアル熟茶 |
Common confusions#
- English 'shou' vs 'shu' spelling makes readers think these are different teas.
- Retailers in Russian and English call shou 'black pu'er' (чёрный пуэр), conflating it with 红茶 (black tea in English).
- Many consumers think shou is simply old sheng; the colour comes from piling within weeks.
- shu vs shou spelling
- 熟 vs 老 (aged) — aged sheng is not shou
- The English spellings shou and shu refer to the same 熟茶. The Mandarin pinyin is shú.