Questions and confusions associated with Pu-erh tea
- Written by En Jie Rudd
- Read 2330 times
- font size decrease font size increase font size
- Be the first to comment!
There has been a recent resurgent interest in Pu-erh teas due to both its reported health benefits and some other factors such tradition and novelty.
There are however many confusions and questions among consumers. I have collected and listed some below:
- What are the differences between raw and ripened Pu-erh?
- Are all Pu-erh teas sold on the market aged as they are portraited?
- Most of the pu-erh teas are labelled and named after the areas/mountains where the teas were harvested, what do they mean? And what are the differences?
- Many fake products have been reported to have entered the market designed for undeserved financial gain. How to differentiate a genuine vs fake products?
- They are also new products (eg, Ya-Bao tea) merging designed to satisfy certain appetite for exotic and high end goods. Are they actually Pu-erh tea? Good or not so good?
- Has Pu-erh tea aging process got no limit? What is the limit if there is one?
- Have all Pu-erh teas got aging value?
- What is the ultimate judge of the quality of a pu-erh tea? Price? Production place? Age?
The above list can grow by day.
To facilitate to clarify some of the confusions, Valley Green Tea has recently created a Facebook chat group where consumers can post questions and answers, share experiences and opinions: https://www.facebook.com/groups/puerhtealovers
We would love you to join in for a chat.
I will also post some blog posts subsequently in the near future seeking to put my understanding and opinions on board.
En Jie Rudd
The founder and owner of Valley Green Tea
I grew up in the Fu-Jian Province – the tea country of China. Tea drinking has been part of our daily life for as long as I can remember.
While I was working as a public health researcher a few years ago, I read many research reports conducted over the last 30 years about the health benefits of green tea in fighting certain life style related challenges such as cancer, obesity, cardio-vascular and inflammatory diseases etc.
From my research, I realised there is a significant gap between what people consume (i.e. commercial tea bags) for assumed health benefits and the actual benefits that have been enjoyed by the Chinese for a long history from the premium loose leaf teas.
As well as being potentially beneficial to health, the premium loose teas (green tea being the biggest group) are most enjoyable beverages with a fascinating history, colourful culture and holistically dynamic in every aspect.
It is my passion to share, not only the products, but also the whole culture dynamics around the premium teas with the tea enthusiasts, here in Australia and around the world.
Valley Green Tea currently supplis a diverse range of premium loose teas to the tea drinking community that suit all tastes and all cultures and to pass on a deep understanding of the history and benefits of this wonder beverage.
Website: https://www.valleygreentea.com.auRelated items
- The age of a Pu-erh when there is not a production date
- Top ripened Pu-erh tea a gamble than a prediction
- The transformation of Chinese tea from a local produce to a modern luxury
- Pu-erh tea storage risks
- A comparison study of consumer’s ripened Pu-erh preferences against two differing temperature and humidity storage conditions
