Up till now at least I seem to have been the only long-term foreigner in Jinghong with an active involvement in Puerh tea. Because of this, I am sometimes seen by friends and other local tea producers and merchants as a potential window onto a bigger market than they perhaps can access alone. Debate-able as the truth of that may be, I can understand the logic, fuelled perhaps by the fact that we have had some success with Zhi Zheng Tea Shop.

I have for some time debated whether I could help create some kind of ‘portal’ through which the best of ‘Banna’s Puer tea could be showcased. At the suggestion of a number of friends in the area, I have decided to start this blog – Cream of ‘Banna.

The aim is not to critique poor quality tea – that would be a laborious and thankless task, but rather to introduce what I believe to be some of the best Puerh that ‘Banna has to offer.

So we will select and make posts on what we believe are the best of local teas; made by local producers with and  for local shops.

For the reader sufficiently motivated, we may offer samples and the possibility to buy a cake or two.