Da Ma Cang

Da Ma Cang (Malaysian Storage Tea)

It is the storage that decides how the tea would be.

The ageing and storage are of the essence for Puer tea. There will not be vintage tea without extended storage.

Malaysia proves to be ideal when it comes to tea storage. Located in the Equatorial low-pressure trough with typical rainforest climate, there is abundant annual rainfall without distinctive seasonal change. Air movement is free flowing, and temperature difference between night and day is conducive to tea storage. The weather here is relatively comfortable.

The climate has a clear relationship with the transformation of chemical constituents of Puer; this chemical action is mainly the result of temperature, humidity and temperature difference. As a guide, the temperature required for Puer storage is between 20 degrees and 30 degrees; the humidity between 50% and 75%; and for the temperature difference, the larger the better. Analyses of the conditions for the transformation of Puer tea discover that Malaysia has all it takes to make Puer ageing a success: year round, the country has an average temperature of 26 degrees, an average humidity of 70%, and the temperature difference between night and day is as much as 10 degrees. Such geographic conditions have positive impact on the microbial action during post-fermentation of Puer, and the result of ageing is several times better than that of the China-Hong Kong-Taiwan region.

The Malay Peninsula is a narrow appendix of the Southeast Asia mainland with a long coastline. Although there is a central mountain range running from north to south of the peninsula, wind flows freely between land and sea; air is not stagnant, which serves the purpose of tea storage. In short, Malaysia offers ideal storage conditions for the transformation of Puer all year round. Among the advantages is the absence of“Hui Nan Tian”(literally, return of the southern climate), a phenomenon typical of Southern China, when warm and humid air from the south replenishes the cold winter air every spring, causing condensation on surfaces such as floors and walls. Hui Nan Tian is detrimental to tea storage -- the tea in storage may be dampened with the occurrence of mold, hence significantly lowering its quality.

Here is a quick comparison of Puer stored in Malaysia, Guangdong and Yunnan. Guangdong-stored tea has higher degree of moisture; it imparts pronounced old wood aroma in the medium term of storage. Transformation of Yunnan-stored tea is gradual and stable; it is comparatively crispier and drier with slight stringency in the medium term. Malaysia-stored tea is somewhere between the two, with the positive attributes but not the shortcomings; it has both the woody and fruity notes with just the right amount of moisture. Besides, it is infused with unique Nanyang flavour and vivacity.

Carefully selected tea leaves and good storage conditions yield exceptional vintage teas. Producing teas suitable for drinking, keeping and investment, the Nanyang style Malaysian storage is certainly in a class of its own. It is a trusted way of ageing great tea for rapid value appreciation.