Bavantea

12/08/2026

2024 Ha Giang ripe Pu-erh tea, fermented in small batches.

This is a 2024 ripe Pu-erh tea from Ha Giang, produced via small-batch fermentation of 190 kg of 2023 raw Pu-erh. The yield was 164 kg, including the tea clumps known as "lao cha tou 老茶头"; the overall weight loss was 15%. If these nodules were separated out, the loss rate would rise to approximately 30%.

After two years of storage in our Ha Giang warehouse, the flavor profile has developed beautifully—offering a mild bitterness, smoothness, and a silky texture. It truly confirms that *hei cha* (dark tea) should be consumed after at least two years of aging; it is vastly different from its earlier state.

10/08/2026

06/08/2026

In addition to ripe Pu-erh, we are currently experimenting with several other types of fermented tea—specifically, "sour tea - suan cha" made using the traditional methods of ethnic minority communities in Yunnan.

04/08/2026

Ha Giang small batch ripe pu-erh 2024

03/08/2026

The Most Important Step in Ripening Pu-erh Tea

When producing ripe Pu-erh tea, the fermentation process (Wo Dui - 渥堆) is the most important. During this process, controlling the temperature of the tea pile directly determines the quality, flavor, and safety of the tea batch.

Below are the standards and methods for controlling the tea pile temperature:

1. Ideal Temperature Levels

* Optimal temperature: The temperature inside the tea pile should be maintained stably between 50°C and 65°C.

* Maximum limit: The temperature must not exceed 65°C. If the tea pile is too hot (above 68°C), beneficial bacteria will die, the tea will burn, and the fermentation process will be ruined.

* Minimum limit: If the temperature is below 40°C, the fermentation rate will be very slow, easily leading to harmful mold growth and an unpleasant musty odor.

2. Temperature Variation Stages

The fermentation process typically lasts from 4 to 8 weeks, divided into stages:

* Initial stage (first 1-2 weeks): After humidification (spraying water), microorganisms thrive, and the temperature rapidly rises from room temperature to approximately 50°C - 55°C.

* Peak stage (Weeks 3-4): Enzyme and microbial activity reaches its peak. The temperature is consistently maintained at 60°C - 65°C.

* Final stage (Remaining weeks): Nutrients gradually decrease, and microbial activity slows down. The temperature of the tea pile gradually decreases to 40°C and then to ambient temperature.

3. Temperature Control and Adjustment Methods

To maintain the ideal temperature, tea artisans employ the following measures:

* Turning the pile: This is a core technique. When the thermometer in the tea pile reaches 63°C - 65°C, the tea maker will turn the entire pile over. This helps to lower the temperature, release CO2, and provide more oxygen for microorganisms.

* Adjusting the height of the tea pile:
- Tea piles are usually 1 to 1.5 meters high.

- If the weather is cold, the pile is raised higher to retain heat.

- If the weather is hot or the tea pile heats up too quickly, the pile is spread thinly to cool it down.

* Covering with tarpaulin: Special tarpaulins are used to cover the tea pile to retain moisture and heat in the initial stage, or removed when heat dissipation is needed.

* Additional humidification: Water is a heat-generating catalyst. If the tea pile dries out, the temperature will decrease. The tea maker will spray a sufficient amount of water in the form of mist to maintain humidity at 60% - 70%.

29/07/2026

Watching the thermometer tick by the numbers feels like meditation, it's very interesting...

This is the 9kg batch of tea we're fermenting...

This is the first time we've fermented such a small batch of ripe pu-erh tea. Currently, we're simultaneously fermenting three batches of tea from three different tea-growing regions: two from Ha Giang (9kg and 80kg) and one from Yen Bai (9kg). In two months, we'll have three samples of ripe pu-erh teas to test.

It was 41 degrees this morning, but it's already 48 degrees this afternoon...

26/07/2026

We are fermenting ripe pu-erh tea, in a small batch...

The aroma of fermented rice appeared from the second day.

Each batch of ripe pu-erh takes approximately 60 days to complete, before it's ready for packaging and storage. Today is the third day... There's still work to be done...

25/07/2026

Huang Pian,

The mature tea leaves picked during the Pu-erh tea-making process are called Huang Pian (黄片) because in Chinese, the term literally means "Yellow Leaf" or "Yellow Leaf Fragment."

This name accurately describes the appearance and state of these leaves after undergoing the raw tea processing stages (Maocha).

# # Specific Reasons Behind the Name Huang Pian

* Color Change After Sautéing (De-enzyme Inactivation) and Sun-Drying:

These leaves are essentially mature leaves located at the bottom of the tea bud. They have a thick, hard structure, contain less water, and very little chlorophyll compared to young buds. After sautéing (de-enzyme inactivation) and sun-drying, they cannot curl tightly into a dark green or grayish-black color like young leaves, but retain their flat, flattened shape and turn a light yellow.

* Literal Meaning:

In Chinese, 黄 (Huáng) means yellow, and 片 (Piàn) means a flat, flat piece or leaf of tea. When tea makers look at a pile of raw tea, these large, flat, and discordantly yellow leaves stand out, so they immediately call them "Huang Pian."

# # Why are Huang Pian removed?

In traditional Pu-erh tea production (especially the tea offered to the imperial court in ancient times), the aesthetics of the tea cake are highly valued. Huang Pian is removed because:

* Appearance: These leaves are too large, flat, and pale yellow; if pressed together with the tea cake, they will make the cake look mottled, rough, and unattractive.

* Uniformity during pressing: Old leaves are hard and do not have the same adhesion as young buds containing more pectin, making it difficult to compress the tea cake evenly.

# # Flavor Characteristics of Huang Pian Tea

Although excluded from high-grade tea cakes for aesthetic reasons, Huang Pian tea is not a substandard or discarded tea. On the contrary, it is highly sought after by tea connoisseurs today due to its unique characteristics:

* Sweet and smooth taste, without bitterness: Because it is made from mature leaves, the tannin (which causes astringency) and caffeine (which causes bitterness) content is very low. Instead, it accumulates a large amount of polysaccharides and minerals...

24/07/2026

Yunnan, 2023

24/07/2026

Good evening,

I don't remember if i told you that i'm planning to launch my tea company in france.
I'm still finishing my project, and i'm getting help from an association because alone, it's not easy with all the paperwork.

This afternoon i came with your 2026 Lung Phin Karst plateau green tea. I've done a tea tasting with 4 french non tea drinker and they loved the tea. They described it as sweet, fresh, almost minty, with slight floral note.

The more i drink it, the more i like it, i'm a bit sad to have only few grams left...