Pu’er Tea

Pu’er tea is a specialty of Yunnan Province that is one of the most sought-after teas in the world. It's a fermented tea that gets better with age. For it to qualify as authentic Pu’er tea it has to be made from one of the large-leaf varietals of Camellia Sinensis, and it has to come from Yunnan Province. It's one of few teas that the Chinese government has designated as a protected-origin product.

Pu’er is known for its health benefits, as well as for its deep, rich flavor that has an earthy tinge of mushroom taste. It's known to be good for digestion and is often taken after a large meal.

In traditional Chinese herbalism, Pu’er tea is believed to open the meridians, to "warm the middle burner" (the spleen and stomach) and be beneficial to blood cleansing and digestion. Studies have shown Pu’er tea to lower blood pressure and cholesteral levels and increase metabolism.

Raw Pu’er is sun-dried and compressed into cakes, bricks and tuos. It undergoes a fermentation process with yeast and bacteria, and can be aged for decades or longer. It continues to change as it ages, usually developing more depth and texture. Ripe Pu-erh is fermented for a 40-50-day period as it mellows and turns dark reddish brown.

Pu’er originated thousands of years ago in Yunnan Province, where the large-leaf tea trees grow. It is historically part of China's tea trade with other nations. It is named for Pu’er City, the town from which it was originally sold. Pu’er City was a center for trade in the early 17th century. 

Its history relates closely to the tea trade between China and other nations (notably Tibet), and it is named for. It was originally compressed into shapes for more efficient transit, and it acquired its dark color and flavor due to natural fermentation in transit to its final destinations.

Tea is an important part of Chinese culture. The Chinese were the first people in the world to domesticate tea-producing Camellia sinensis plants and begin producing, drinking and trading tea.

In Chinese culture serving tea is an act of hospitality. It is often a ceremonial drink during wedding negotiations, social gatherings and religious rituals. Chinese essays and poems often associate tea with frugality, benevolence and moderation.

But Pu’er tea is a unique kind of tea that only comes from Yunnan province.