For those just starting to learn about Pu'er tea, you may not know where to start, as many concepts, common knowledge, and terms related to Pu'er tea are unfamiliar. This is an article designed to help beginners quickly understand Pu'er tea.
◎What is Pu'er tea?
Pu'er tea originates from the Lancang River basin in southern and western Yunnan. It is made from the fresh leaves of large-leaf tea trees in Yunnan, processed into various compressed teas through steaming and compression, and then aged over a certain period of time. Alternatively, it can be made by post-fermenting sun-dried green tea from large-leaf tea trees in Yunnan, resulting in compressed or loose Pu'er tea.
◎What is raw (sheng) tea?
The large-leaf tea grown in Yunnan is processed through sun-withering and directly compressed into cakes, tuos, or bricks, which are referred to as raw cakes, raw tuos, and raw bricks. Uncompressed tea is called maocha (rough tea).
◎What is ripe (shou) tea?
The large-leaf tea grown in Yunnan undergoes sun-withering followed by pile fermentation and is then compressed into cakes, tuos, or bricks, known as ripe cakes, ripe tuos, and ripe bricks.
◎How do you distinguish between raw and ripe Pu'er tea?
There are many ways to distinguish between raw and ripe Pu'er tea. Generally, for appearance, raw Pu'er under 10 years old has a dark green color, while ripe Pu'er is dark brown. Smelling the aroma, raw Pu'er has a faint, fresh scent, whereas ripe Pu'er has a mature, earthy aroma. Lastly, the infusion color of raw Pu'er is orange-yellow, while that of ripe Pu'er is brown-red or dark chestnut.
◎To which category does Pu'er tea belong?
Pu'er tea does not belong to either black tea or red tea. Its production process and essential characteristics differ significantly from those of the six major types of tea. Therefore, the Yunnan Tea Association has appealed to the Chinese tea industry and will seriously consult with national experts and scholars to classify Yunnan Pu'er tea as a special reprocessed tea and redefine its position in the Chinese tea spectrum.
What is spring tea, summer tea, and autumn tea (Gu flower tea)? How are they distinguished?
Spring tea is harvested from February to April, with tea picked within 15 days after the Qingming Festival being considered top quality, typically one bud and one leaf, with fine and white buds. Summer tea is harvested from May to July and is called “rain tea.” If properly processed, its quality can be similar to that of spring tea. Autumn tea is harvested from August to October and is known as Gu flower tea.
◎What is the tea-making process and method?
Pu'er tea is produced using two methods: raw (sheng) tea and ripe (shou) tea. For raw tea: traditional process includes fixation, rolling, and sun-drying. For ripe tea: fixation, rolling, drying, humidification and pile fermentation, and drying.
What is sun-drying and oven-drying, and what are their differences?
Fresh tea leaves, once harvested and processed through frying, rolling, and naturally air-dried on bamboo mats under the sun, are called sun-dried maocha. They can be stored for a long time. Fresh tea leaves, when dried using a dryer, produce a highly fragrant tea known as oven-dried tea. Oven-dried tea has an expiration date and cannot be stored for a long time. Simply put, sun-drying is part of the Pu'er tea process, while oven-drying is part of the green tea process.
How is Pu'er tea graded, and what is the difference between high and low grades?
Pu'er tea is divided into high, medium, and low grades. High-grade loose tea is categorized as follows: Imperial, Gift tea, Special Grade, Grade 1 to Grade 5, which are medium grades, and Grades 6 to 10, which are lower grades. Pu'er tea fragments are also divided into high, medium, and low grades. When grading, higher grades contain more buds, while lower grades have more stems. Does a higher grade always mean better quality? No, a higher grade only indicates that the tea is tender, and this does not necessarily correlate with overall quality.
◎What is dry storage and wet storage for Pu'er tea, and what are the differences?
Storing Pu'er tea in a warehouse with relative humidity below 80% allows it to age slowly and naturally, transforming into a “mature fragrance” quality. This type of tea is commonly referred to as “dry-stored Pu'er tea.” “Wet-stored Pu'er tea” involves storing Pu'er tea in a warehouse with relative humidity above 80%, causing it to age rapidly. However, during the aging process, moldy changes can occur, and such tea is called “wet-stored Pu'er.” Only dry storage can achieve the effect of becoming better with age. Some unscrupulous merchants pass off wet-stored tea as aged dry-stored tea.
◎What should you pay attention to when purchasing Pu'er tea?
Four key points: Clearness – smell the aroma; it should be clear without any mixed scents. Purity – observe the color; the tea color should resemble jujube and not be black like lacquer. Correctness – store in a dry place; avoid dampness. Aroma – taste the infusion; it should be mild and not have a mixed flavor. Six don'ts: Don't use incorrect vintage years as labels, don't rely on fake packaging as evidence, don't use color depth as an excuse, don't use added flavors as a pretense, and don't use tree age as a criterion for assessment.
◎How should Pu'er tea be stored?
If storing compressed tea, do not remove the packaging. If storing loose tea, it is best kept in a purple clay jar. Second to that, ensure the environment is clean and hygienic, free from foreign odors, and maintains stable temperature and humidity levels. Avoid direct sunlight. In summary, the storage conditions should be “dry, ventilated, and odor-free.”
◎Where are the tea regions and mountains of Pu'er tea located?
The ancient six major tea mountains are Youle, Geduang, Yibang, Mangzhi, Manzhuan, and Mansha. Except for “Youle,” which is located in Jinghong City, the other five tea mountains are all in Mengla County.
◎What is Crab Claw?
Crab Claw is a parasitic organism found on older broad-leaf tea trees. Its color is green, and its shape resembles a crab's claws. It has a strong plum fragrance and contains various organic compounds, making it very nutritious. It can be used medicinally, particularly effective in treating gastric diseases and diabetes.
◎What are the main components of Pu'er tea?
Pu'er tea mainly contains amino acids, alkaloids, polyphenols, tannins, caffeine, pigments, monosaccharides, proteins, organic acids, lipids, vitamins, and other components.
◎What are the benefits and effects of Pu'er tea?
Pu'er tea has many benefits, including lowering cholesterol and aiding weight loss, improving complexion, sobering up, protecting against radiation and aging, promoting dental health, improving vision, and nourishing and protecting