Basic Introduction to Puer Tea from Yunnan
Puer tea from Yunnan is produced from the unique large-leaf tea trees of Yunnan, and it is among Chinese famous teas that most emphasizes brewing techniques and the art of drinking. Its methods of consumption are exceptionally diverse; it can be drunk plain or mixed. Plain drinking refers to brewing without adding any additional ingredients, a practice more common among Han Chinese. Mixed drinking involves adding one's preferred ingredients to the tea, a practice more prevalent in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Durability in brewing is an advantage of Puer tea; when brewed with a lidded bowl or a purple clay pot, aged Puer tea can be infused over 20 times, with its flavor and color gradually diminishing with each infusion.
Nutritional Value
Spring Tea Drinking for Health
In spring, when the body is in a state of release, one may choose Puer tea with a certain degree of natural fermentation or a blend of raw and ripe Puer tea. Such tea has both warmth and vitality, which helps dissipate the cold accumulated in the body during winter, promoting the generation of yang energy, invigorating the spirit, alleviating spring fatigue, and enhancing resistance to disease.
Summer Tea Drinking to Ward Off Heat
In summer, when the heat is oppressive, raw Puer tea is ideal. It has a slightly bitter taste and a slightly cool nature, possessing functions such as cooling, heat dissipation, detoxification, fire reduction, dryness reduction, thirst quenching, saliva production, and strengthening the heart and spirit. Raw Puer tea is rich in polyphenols, caffeine, amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients. Drinking it not only cools and relieves heat but also provides nourishment.
Autumn Tea Drinking for Physical Strengthening
In autumn, when the weather is dry and dryness prevails, it is suitable to drink Puer tea that is partially raw and partially ripe, or a blend of raw and ripe tea, taking advantage of the benefits of both. Drinking this kind of tea has a moderate character, somewhere between raw and ripe, neither too cool nor too warm, making it very suitable for the autumn climate.
Winter Tea Drinking for Health Maintenance
In winter, health preservation focuses on keeping warm and enhancing disease resistance. Ripe Puer tea is appropriate, with its brownish-red hue and warmth. Ripe Puer tea has a sweet and warm nature, good at storing yang energy, generating heat, warming the belly, and fortifying the body. Adding milk and sugar does not alter its fragrance, thus enhancing the body's adaptability to the winter climate.
Product Characteristics
The characteristics of its form are: long and robust buds, abundant white down, silver sheen, large and soft leaves, thick stems with long internodes, long periods of new shoot growth, many tender buds, and vigorous development. According to scientific research data on tea: the water-soluble extracts, polyphenols, catechins per gram of Yunnan large-leaf tea are much higher than those of other famous Chinese teas. This is the material basis for Puer tea's ability to undergo continuous fermentation, improving with age, and forming its distinctive quality style.
History and Folklore
Yunnan is the birthplace of the world's tea trees, and the origins of various kinds of tea in China and around the world are mostly found in the Puer tea-producing areas of Yunnan. The history of Puer tea is very long; as early as three thousand years ago during the period of King Wu's campaign against the Shang, the tea-growing ancestors, the Pu people, had already offered tea to King Wu of Zhou, although at that time there was no name for Puer tea. During the Yuan Dynasty, there was a place called “Bu Ri Bu,” which later became “Pu Er” (at that time, “Er” did not have three dots of water). The term “Puer” first appeared here, henceforth gaining fame both domestically and internationally, until the late Ming Dynasty, when it was renamed Puer tea. In the Three Kingdoms period, “Wuhou's Legacy of Seeds” opened the historical narrative of Puer tea on the 23rd day of the seventh lunar month, 1,700 years ago. “There is a king tree on the tea mountain, larger than those in the five mountains alone, originally planted by Marquis Wu, and still worshipped by the indigenous people today.”
Methods for Preparing Yunnan Puer Tea
How to brew Puer tea better?
1. Choice of Teapot. When brewing Puer tea, choose a teapot with a large belly, as the concentration of Puer tea is high, and using a teapot with a large belly helps avoid overly concentrated tea. The best materials for the teapot are clay, purple clay, or old rock mud teapots.
2. Preparation of Tea Leaves. When brewing, the amount of tea should be about 1/5 of the teapot's volume. If using brick Puer tea, after breaking it apart, let it rest for about two weeks before brewing for better flavor. Puer tea can be re-infused over 10 times due to its durability. After 10 infusions, the remaining Puer tea can be used in a final brew by boiling it.
3. Water Temperature for Brewing. The flavor of Puer tea is not easily extracted, so it must be brewed with boiling water. The first infusion, after pouring in the boiling water, is immediately discarded and used to rinse the cups. This process is known as washing the tea.
Distinguishing Authenticity
Four Observations: (Clear, Pure, Genuine, Refreshing)
1. Clear – the taste should be clear, without any moldy flavor.
2. Pure – the soup color should be pure, like jujube or red and rich, bright, and not black like ink.
3. Genuine – stored in the correct environment, in a dry warehouse, and not in a humid one.
4. Refreshing – tasting the soup brings a sense of ease and refreshment.