Pu-erh tea is a microbial fermented tea, hailing from the high mountains of the Yunnan Province, China. It is usually made from the leaves of ancient tea trees and sold in the form of cakes and other compressed shapes. However, what truly sets Pu’erh tea apart is that through its specific fermentation and aging process the tea continues to develop its flavor profile over time, just like a fine wine.
History
Pu-er tea has a rich history, dating back at least to 10th century China, where the large leaves of the Assamica variety of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) that naturally occurred in the region was initially harvested near the trading city of Pu-erh.
The prevailing theory of how Pu’erh came into to be the type of tea that it is, is that as the tea leaves traveled from Yunnan across the famous “Ancient Road of Tea and Horses” for trade with Tibetan merchants, the extreme weather conditions throughout this arduous, six-month journey allowed the fermentation process to naturally take place. This in turn not only allowed the tea to be pressed into cakes, allowing for more efficient travel, it also transformed the flavor profile of the tea, making it smoother and less bitter.
Pu-erh remained popular within the region of Yunnan but faced challenges from China as a whole, as the interest in pressed tea cakes declined and was even deemed illegal by Ming Emperor Yuanzhang. It wasn’t until the 1950s, with a renewed interest in Pu-erh surging in Hong Kong that new methods were sought after to speed up the fermentation process for the modern market.
Processing
Pu-erh can be divided into two distinct categories based on the production process. First is ‘Sheng’ Pu-erh, or Pu-erh in its raw form. After buds and leaves are picked, the oxidation process is stopped as the leaves are left to wither in the shade for several hours, pan-dried, rolled and finally sun-dried. The leaves in their raw green form are called ‘máochá. This ‘máochá can subsequently be sold in loose leaf form or compressed into cakes and left to ripen as Sheng Pu-erh.
The second, and vastly more popular category of Pu-erh in the West, is ‘Shou’ Pu-erh. Here the same process is followed as with Sheng Pu-erh. However, after the aforementioned steps are completed, the tea undergoes another, accelerated fermentation process called “wet piling” or ‘Wo Dui’ to arrive at a ripened state more quickly. Wet Piling was first introduced in 1972 by the Kunming Tea factory and helped allow for prolonged fermentation in a humid environment. First the leaves are piled up to a specific height, then they are sprayed with water and covered by a linen cloth. Once the leaves are fully in the fermentation process, they are left to air out.
These days Pu-Erh is produced outside of Yunnan as well, including bordering regions in Vietnam Laos and Burma. It is important to note that depending on the production, aging and storage process, Pu-erh can differ significantly in terms of taste even from one Pu-erh master to the next. The optimal age for each batch will differ as well, for some taking over 30 years to reach their fully realized flavor profile.
Popularity in the West
Over the past few decades Pu-erh has risen to be a favorite among tea aficionados in the West. There are several factors contributing to this increase in popularity. Firstly, Pu-erh tea has become more readily available on a global scale. The main reason however, is that Pu-erh tea, with its high level of antioxidants, has been linked to a host of health benefits. These include reducing risk of heart disease, managing sugar levels, reducing cholesterol, improving digestion and more. One notable health benefit that was attributed to Pu-erh, and which helped its popularity tremendously, is that consuming Pu-erh tea helped with weight loss. However, these findings have not been conclusively confirmed scientifically in humans.
