Tea & Food

Types of Pu’er Tea

Pu’er Tea can be separated into two types, raw and ripe. Raw tea begins as a strong, stimulant tea; after a natural aging process of several years, it naturally mellows in flavor and effect, always improving with age; ripe tea is moderate and drinkable immediately after the artificial fermentation process. The rich, aromatic flavor further mellows and improves after storage. The teas can also be separated by their shape, such as round disc cakes, teardrop cakes, bricks and loose-leaf, as well as some more special shapes, such as golden melons, etc.

Health Benefits of Pu’er Tea

The health benefits of tea can be traced back to the legendary apothecary ancestor “Shennong”, and those assertions have held strong into modern times. Long-term research and market patterns have affirmed the benefits of Pu-er tea, particularly in lowering high blood pressure, weight loss and cholesterol reduction, controlling inflammation, dental health, preventing arteriosclerosis and preventing senility. Pu’er tea has already become an important weight-loss beverage from youth and an essential supplement for the aging.

The Storage of Pu’er Tea

Pu’er tea has also been lauded as the “drinkable antique”. The flavor and color of Pu’er Tea changes when properly stored over a period of time; fresh raw tea brews into a bright, yellowish broth and possesses a strong, almost harsh flavor; aged raw tea brews an amber broth and possesses a mellow flavor. Fresh ripe tea brews into a bright red broth possessing a smooth mellow flavor; old ripe tea brews dark red with a thick mellow flavor. The flavor, quality and value of Pu’er tea constantly increases over time with proper storage.

The History of Pu’er Tea

The history of Pu’er tea can be traced back to the Eastern Han Period. Trade in Pu’er tea began in the Tang Dynasty, became famous during the Ming Dynasty and was popularized in the Qing Dynasty. According to historical records, the Pu people began cultivating tea trees over 1700 years ago, initiating Yunnan’s tea history. In the text Dianhaiyuhengzhi, a book about the culture and geography of ancient Yunnan written in 1799 AD, “Pu’er tea is famous the world over; Pu’er tea comes from the six great tea mountains: Youle, Gedeng, Yibang, Mangzhi, Manduan, Mansa. The six mountains cover a vast area and hundreds of thousands are engaged in the cultivation of tea.” According to this text, the so called six Tea Mountains are located in the rain forests north of the Mekong River in the modern day Chinese prefecture Xishuangbanna.
Oldest historical records refer to Pu’er Tea as “Pu Cha”. The administrative district of Pu’er Fu was established in this area in 1729 AD. Pu Cha and its raw materials from various tea mountains were gathered along the Ancient Tea Route and then conveyed by caravan to Beijing, Tibet, Southeast Asia and Europe. Pu Cha eventually took the name of its home region, Pu’er, by which it is now known to the outside world.