Mandarin Pu-erh （小青柑）is a ripe post-fermented tea packed inside a whole dried mandarin fruit shell. The mandarin comes from Xinhui City in Guangdong Province — the same region famous for producing chen pi (aged tangerine peel) — and the pu-erh inside is from Menghai, Yunnan Province. Together, they create a tea that blends earthy pu-erh depth with a warm citrus aroma.
What it tastes like
The pu-erh provides the familiar earthy, smooth base, while the dried mandarin peel adds a citrus scent that's more warm and rounded than sharp. The mandarin mellows the pu-erh and adds a slightly sweet, fruity layer that makes this a good after-meal tea — in Chinese tradition, the combination of pu-erh and citrus peel is valued for supporting digestion.
How to brew it
Each mandarin is a complete serving. You can brew it whole or break off pieces depending on how strong you want it.
Western style:
Use one whole mandarin per 400ml teapot with 90-100°C water. Steep for 1 minute per infusion. You'll get up to 4 infusions.
Gongfu style:
One mandarin per 150ml gaiwan or teapot. Use 95-100°C water with a quick rinse first. Steep just 10 seconds for the first 4 infusions, adding 10 seconds from the fifth. Up to 10 infusions. The citrus notes come through strongly in the early cups, with the pu-erh becoming more dominant in later steeps.
Joanne's tip
This is the tea I reach for after a heavy dinner. The combination of pu-erh and mandarin peel has been a go-to in Chinese households for generations — it's the kind of pairing where both ingredients work better together than on their own.
If you enjoy this, we also carry Aged Mandarin Peel (Chen Pi) from 2016 on its own, which you can add to any tea or just steep by itself.
Come taste it at our Salamanca Tea Bar — it's one of those teas where the aroma tells you a lot before you even take a sip. If you enjoy pu-erh with floral additions, our Tasmanian Lavender Puerh is another blend worth trying — same smooth pu-erh base, different direction with Tasmanian lavender.
Tea profile
Taste: Earthy, Citrus, smooth
Type: Post-fermented tea (ripe pu-erh with mandarin)
Origin: Mandarin from Xinhui City, Guangdong; Ripe pu-erh from Menghai, Yunnan Province, China
Oxidation: Fully fermented (渥堆 wòduī process)
TCM Property: Warm (温性) — gentle, supports digestion
Harvest: Spring 2023
Ingredients: 100% pu-erh leaves and whole dry mandarin peel
Caffeine: Medium — best from morning to afternoon. Caffeine-sensitive drinkers may want to avoid it late in the evening.
No artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. The mandarin peel and pu-erh both benefit from time — properly stored, the citrus and earthy flavours continue to integrate and deepen.
