How to remove the paper on a Pu-erh cake (Nei-Fei) effortlessly

By Valley Green Tea

Posted On March 5, 2020

 

Pu erh teaThere is a tradition to attach a piece of paper called Nei-Fei (内飞) to a Pu-erh tea cake/brick with some brief information about the making of cake. The Nei-Fie is normally superficially embedded on the top of a cake under a thin layer of the tea leaves (as shown in the image). The paper is often difficult to remove as it has been compressed under a thin layer of the tea leaves when that cakes were made, glued to the cake by the tea glue released during the steaming and compression (which also glue the tea leaves together into a cake).

A quick and easy to remove the paper:

  • Do NOT attempt to remove the paper when it is dry
  • Break up the Pu-erh cakes as usual and break off the amount of the tea leaves you would normally use for a tea section
  • Put the piece/pieces with the Nei-Fei attached in the tea vessel for brewing, a pot, a mug or a Gaiwan, add hot water to it and sit for about 10 seconds.
  • Remove the tea from the hot water and leave on a plate to cool down.
  • The paper now can be easily removed with a sharp object, such as a folk or a Pu-erh knife. (See below)

Pu-erh tea

 

 

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