Puer from Baka Village (Mengku)

To the east and north of Baka is the Bingdao village committee, to the south is Dongguo, to the west is Gengma County (Chinese: 耿马县, pinyin: Gěngmǎ xiàn). Baka is divided into upper (上寨) and lower (下寨) villages and 13 small settlements. The total area is 5.29 km2, the altitude is 1600 m, the average annual temperature is 20 °C, the precipitation level is 1800 mm per year.

The main population of this area is Han. Tea plantations consist of ancient trees that are not pruned. The village of Baka is located on the same strip with Bingdao and has the same climate: high mountains and fogs, which brings a light honey shade to the tea aroma. The immediate proximity of Bingdao and its famous tea makes the local product an alternative to Bingdao. The peculiarity of Baka puer tea: aroma with a light honey note, taste with a slight bitterness turning into sweetness, moderate viscosity, puer has a multi-layered taste, the tea bottom is fragrant.

If we compare it with other pu-erhs of its closest neighbors, we can say that the yang character is not as pronounced as in Zhengqitan (Chinese: 正气塘, pinyin: Zhèngqì táng) teas, which is part of Gonglong, the yin character is inferior to Bingdao, the age of the trees is inferior to Xiaohusai, and the aroma is far from Molier (Chinese: 磨烈, pinyin: Móliè), which is part of Dongguo. But this is the kind of pu-erh from Baka that is “worse than good, better than bad.” It seems to have the same ancient trees, the same climatic conditions, but it has an average taste, astringency, and freshness. This pu-erh is not an object of speculation among tea merchants, so it seems simple and honest, but its peculiarity lies in this simplicity.