| Pu-erh tea belongs to one of the six main classes of Chinese teas - compressed tea. Apart from its ‘compressed’ nature, there are some very unique characteristics about Pu-erh tea. Pu-erh tea’s definition: - produced in Yun Nan province (originally from Pu-erh village area)
- using local tea tree with following characteristics: 1/ tea trees significantly larger than normal tea shrubs; 2/ tea leaves measured up to more than 20cm, with the normal leaves measure at around 5 cm.
- Typically compressed into tea cakes of various shapes and sizes: disc, brick and ball etc., although loose leaf Pu-erh tea is also available.
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Pu-erh tea of tip leaves vs. mature leaves |
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The tea leaves used for Pu-erh tea is somehow different from the others: - good quality green tea and white are made of very young top tip leaves (not more than top three leaves). The quality decreases with including leaves further down the branches. These teas are light, refreshing with (using one of our customers' words) exquisite complex aftertaste.
- Oolong teas (semi-fermented) on the other hand, are made of more mature tea leaves. They are richer in color and brew and tend to be more aromatic.
- Pu-erh tea is different again. The tea leaves harvested from tea trees, other than thrubs (even through they are from the same group of plants, Camellia sinensis) and the tea leaves are much bigger, up to 25 cm (compared to 2-3 cm for other tea leaves). The Pu-erh teas that are made of young tea leaves and mature tea leaves often head to different directions:
- Very young tip leaves are often made into lose leaf tea. The appearance will be: very fine tip tea leaves covered by glossily gold color fur. The description used for the taste of these teas is 'mellow with depth', it is even likely for these teas to be slightly bitter. These teas are often excessively expensive, it is scarce in China, and very rare overseas. (Be careful, not all loose leaf pu-erh tea is of good quality. It is far more likely to find loose leaf Pu-erh of very poor quality from a no-professional tea supplier that in my opinion these teas should be pressed into tea cakes. This way, they will at least get some value out from post-fermenting.)
- The Pu-erh tea cakes (or balls & bricks) are often made of mature leaves. The description used for these teas are 'mellowing and smooth'. The mature tea leaves, event twigs (of course not excessive amount) contain certain fragrant substances that play an important part during the post-fermenting process to produce the aged Pu-erh tea’s richly aromatic and mellowing taste. (There are ways to distinguish good quality and poor quality Pu-erh cakes too!)
In summary, Pu-erh tea made of mature leaves is not necessary of low quality like the other teas. It is one of the teas that it takes time and patience to experience the different varieties and choice that one you prefer. |
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All teas (not including herbal teas) are made of the same plant called Camellia sinesis, although there are various sub-types of Camellia Sinesis. The various production processes produce teas of very different appearance and taste. Fermenting (or lack of it) during the tea making process is a crucial factor when teas categorized. Pu-erh tea belongs to a category of Chinese tea called Compressed Tea. They are whole leaves typically compressed into various shapes: cakes, bricks etc. There are also two major varieties of Pu-erh teas: - Pre-fermented Pu-erh tea: it is pre-fermented and ready to be used immediately after production
- Green (raw, Shen) Pu-erh tea: the tea leaves are compressed into cakes and the fermenting process starts after the production, naturally fermenting within the tea cakes. The teas are not normally used until two years after production. The newly produced Pu-erh (under-fermented) is too rough and strong for most of people to accept.
Pu-erh tea’s post-fermenting nature makes it distinctive from other loose leaf Chinese teas. Generally speaking for other categories of Chinese teas, the fresher they are the better. Pu-erh tea (especially the raw cakes) is on the other hand similar to wine, it value increases with time. |
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A lotus & Wulong tea blend (tea bags) designed to slim and maintain a natural body shape. 
Pu-erh tea 