Puer Tea is actually categorized under the Dark Tea category, but due to its recent popularity we here at Chinese-Tea-Culture.com have decided to give it its own page. This type of tea has many English names, including; Puerh Tea, and Pu erh Tea. Puer Tea is a type of Dark Tea, but due to its recent popularity, and the fact that Chad and Men Chun love this type of tea, we gave it its own section. Until recently Puer Tea was not popular outside of Yunnan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It was considered a farmer’s tea. In 2005, this tea’s popularity skyrocked and changed the entire tea market. What makes Puer Tea so unique is that if stored properly, it can be stored indefinitely and its taste improves with age. Some of the older teas from the 1940’s and 50’s are worth tens of thousands of dollars for a single cake. There are two main types of Puer Tea. Originally there was only one type and as this tea aged it became mellower and its aromas and fragrances became more complex. Due to its high prices and limited availability, Tea Masters came up with a way to imitate this aged tea by fermentation. The two types go by different names due to translation errors. The two types are called Raw (Green) and Ripe (Red). Ripe Puer is also sometimes called Black Puer. The names Green and Red come from the color of the finished leaves. For this website, we will use the more accurate naming of Raw and Ripe. Many people collect this tea for their own consumption and also for investment. It is the latter that caused the recent market explosion of Puer Tea. The market has now slowed down and has become more normal. Originally People did not save the teas. They simply couldn’t afford to. They would buy the tea only to drink, so the old teas are extremely rare and extremely valuable. Many dealers sell what they claim to be ancient teas. Be careful because the number of fakes far outnumbers the authentic cakes. It takes an expert with many years of expertise to tell the difference.
Production
The production of Puer Tea is a very interesting and complex process. The completed teas were traditionally pressed into shapes for ease of shipping. Now loose leaf teas can be found as well. Click the link below to learn more about the processing of this wonderful variety of tea.We have found the production of these teas so interesting that we created its own page.
Click here to learn more about the Production of Puer Tea
Purchasing Puer Tea
Purchasing the tea is fairly straight forward since there is no shelf life for Puer Tea. There are many companies making the teas and they come in a variety of shapes. The older the tea is, the better the flavor and aroma is, but the higher the price is. When purchasing from a shop, ask to try different teas to get a better understanding of them. Many people, who do not like the Raw Puer, like the Ripe Puer. Try different kinds and different brands to find which teas you like the best. It doesn’t matter whether the shop tells you a tea is rare, or great, what matters is that you like the tea you are drinking. Everyone has different tastes. Follow your own. If purchasing tea online, it is important to find a dealer that offers a strong guarantee and has a large variety of brands and teas. This usually means that the dealer has a stronger knowledge of the tea and can give you better suggestions as to what you might like. If an online dealer only has a couple of brands, they probably aren’t as knowledgeable.
Storing Puer Tea
Although much easier to store than White, Yellow, and Green Teas. If you are storing tea to drink, or save for the future, the storage techniques are the same. It is fairly easy to store the tea, but since you might be planning on storing it for decades, it is important to store it correctly. We have written a page just about How to store the tea.
Enjoying the tea
Puer Tea has a stronger and more robust flavor than most other teas. It may surprise people. Many people prefer either Raw, or Ripe Puer Tea, so try both. The teas’ wonderful flavor and aroma improve with age, which makes drinking this tea an adventure as a cake you bought a few years ago may have mellowed considerably making it even better than when you purchased it. Many people buy a few cakes for drinking and a large number for storage. It is fun to watch how the tea develops. The most important part about drinking any tea is to stop what you are doing and focus on the tea, even if for a moment. Our lives are very rushed and we seldom have time to stop and relax. Tea gives us that chance. For a brief moment, life can slow down and you can find your stress waning as you stop and savor your tea. Tea can be a wonderful experience and a great stress reliever.
Types of Puer Tea As I wrote earlier, there are only two main types of Puer, but the different companies, processing techniques, and the shapes they are eventually compressed into are extremely interesting. This tea, like all others has wonderful legends, histories, and culture attached to them. We feel these stories add to the enjoyment of tea.
Click here to learn more about Puer Teas
How to brew Puer Tea
There are many different methods to brewing Puer Teas. The people in Yunnan where the tea is produced brew it in an entirely different manner than other people around China. The tea ceremonies can be quite simple, or elegant and complex. We will show you more about these different brewing techniques and also what water temperatures to use and how long to brew the teas.
Puer Tea Health Benefits
Recent scientific studies have shown that these teas are filled with health benefits. It has been discovered that drinking these teas can lower blood pressure and can act as a cancer preventative.
Puer Tea for Sale
We have a huge selection of Puer Tea. Chad and Menchun have huge personal collections of Puer Tea. We offer tea for many different manufacturers, different ages, different styles, and prices. Please peruse our Tea Shop and see what wonderful teas we have to offer. If you are looking for something special, or something you might not see on the website, feel free to send us and email and ask about it. Chances are we can find it for you.
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