Pu-erh tea nature and nurture
Pu-erh teas have two major sub-categories: raw (Sheng, uncooked) Pu-erh and ripened (Shou cooked) Pu-erh tea.
The common natures of the two sub-category Pu-erh tea
The common natures are:
- They both are produced from the arbor tea trees from the Yunnan Province
- They both are compressed (although there are loose teas available fro convenience purpose.
The differences of the two sub-category Pu-erh tea
The fundamental difference is that the ripened Pu-erh has gone through a speed fermentation process during its production called Ou-Dui (渥堆). As the result, they present rather distinctive internal natures and quality.
The raw Pu-erh teas are harvested and then gone through a traditional Pu-erh processing path, such as plucking, withering, Sha-Qing (杀青), rubbing and sun drying. The raw Pu-erh teas reflect largely the natures of their origin, such as tea trees types, hills, mountains and areas of the Yunnan Province where they are harvested from. Premium Raw Pu-erh teas display clear source definitions and these differences are much appreciated by the raw Pu-erh consumers, such as aroma, texture, level of bitterness, level of astringency and aftertaste Hui-Gan (回甘) etc.
The ripened Pu-erh on the other hand are more a result of its processing, more specifically the skills of Ou-Dui. The source definitions mentioned above are almost diminished by the Ou-Dui process. A ripened Pu-erh’s quality is judged by very different set of criteria, a major part being the absence of a phenomenon called Suo-Hou (throat locking -锁喉), the rough and unpleasant sensations in the throat caused by certain chemicals released during the Ou-Dui.
A raw Pu-erh tea therefore can be seen as more a product of nature and ripened a product of nurture. The implication of this is that when a consumer is considering of purchasing a Pu-erh product, the judgement should be based on different sets of criteria.
