| When dealing with pu-erh tea, we are dealing with | | | | of fermentation that creates to the true flavors of |
| the “fine wine” of China! There is the same | | | | the pu-erh tea, and for this reason, pu-erh is often |
| intense devotion of the lovers of the beverage, the | | | | describes as a “post-fermentation” tea. |
| same labyrinth of grading and certification, the same | | | | There is a relatively new technique called “wet |
| conflicts over the best soil, the best leaves, the best | | | | piling” that can be applied to ripened pu-erh, |
| methods of processing, the best way to serve the | | | | which duplicates the aging process and ensures a |
| brew. | | | | fermentation of the leaves. Wet piling is not |
| Pu-erh also can benefit tremendously from careful | | | | considered an illegitimate method of manufacture in |
| aging. It is variously spelled as “pu’er” | | | | China, but it is significant that pu-erh tea fermented |
| and “pu-erh,” and is sometimes known as | | | | by natural aging still brings a much higher price in the |
| bolay tea among the Cantonese Chinese. Pu-erh tea | | | | marketplace. |
| is almost always sold in the form of compressed | | | | Pu-erh tea is beloved for its dark red color and |
| bricks of tea, in several sizes and shapes, from oval | | | | earthy flavor. It can be completely free of the |
| balls to perfect cubes weighing anywhere between | | | | astringent quality of almost all other teas. Good |
| 10 and 2000 grams. | | | | pu-erh is clear and fragrant. The sweetness of |
| While some pu-erh tea is manufactured in counties of | | | | pu-erh can be strong or light. |
| Guangdong and Hunan provinces, almost 90 percent | | | | It is often used for several brewing, with the first |
| of pu-erh tea is made in Yunan Province, bordering | | | | steeping considered to be inferior to the second and |
| the nations of Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam in the | | | | third. Traditional Chinese Medicine posits that pu-erh |
| mountains that give birth to the Mekong River. In | | | | tea is a fine treatment for weight loss. Modern |
| the 1600’s the Chinese government set aside six | | | | studies indicate that pu-erh tea is an excellent |
| mountains to specifically grow the tea trees used in | | | | material for lowering LDL cholesterol. |
| pu-erh tea. | | | | Because gourmands of tea will pay top prices for |
| Pu-erh tea leaves go through the same treatments | | | | aged pu-erh tea, there is a considerable problem with |
| as green tea until the stage of drying is done. Then, | | | | certification in the market. Fraudulent labels are |
| the green tea that is intended for pu-erh production | | | | common. Many factories that specialize in Pu-erh |
| is separated out. It is referred to a | | | | production are taking steps to combat this problem, |
| “maocha” at this point. Depending on the | | | | adding multiple micro labels to assure their customers |
| intended market, the maocha might be allowed to sit | | | | of quality and source. |
| and age in a loose state, called “raw pu-erh.” | | | | You can fid legitimate cakes of pu-erh that are 50 |
| It might also be compressed and allowed to age in | | | | years old, and there are even some bricks that date |
| that condition, as “ripened pu-erh.” Some | | | | to the Ming Dynasty still for sale at thousands of |
| bricks have been stored for hundreds of years! | | | | dollars! |
| Ripened pu-erh that has aged undergoes a process | | | | |