Pu-erh Tea
Pu-erh is a tea connoisseurs favourite and is often described with terms
such as rich and earthy or ripe and mellow, some would even
say old tasting, but that's more in the way of a compliment as old is
exactly what Pu-erh is. It is a speciality tea that is purposely left to age,
and like a fine wine the older it gets the more prized it becomes. It's not
uncommon for Pu-erhs to be many years old, usually between 1 and 4 but
up to 50 is possible, and each year that passes will only fortify its character
and further mellow its flavour. Pu-erh Tea is traditionally made
with older leaves, unlike White and Green Teas which are made from first
flush and budding leaves, therefore the leaves have a different composition
altogether, but are similarly left unfermented before their transformation
into Pu-erh. The Pu-erh ProcessThe journey from unfermented
leaf to Pu-erh Tea is a remarkable one as it bears no resemblance to
the methods used for making Green Tea. The leaves are withered in a similar way
to Green Tea, but before all the moisture has gone they are piled into heaps
to allow bacterium to react. A thin layer of mould will often develop and this
is wholeheartedly encouraged as it benefits the overall character and
flavour of the tea. Pu-erh is then formed into bricks or cakes, gently wrapped in paper,
and stored outside on racks to age. The final stage ensures the Pu-erh bricks
mature to the full as they are then stored underground, and this is where they can
lay for many years to mellow and evolve. It is these Pu-erh bricks and tea cakes
that are believed to be mentioned in early Chinese records, apparently
dating back as far as 476 AD. Pu-erh is credited in these ancient documents
as being the first form of monetary exchange used by nomadic tribes, but more
widespread use since might be credited to the troops of Kublai Khan, as
appreciating its medicinal benefits they introduced Pu-erh to many other
regions of China during the 13th Century. Pu-erh and HealthThe
medicinal benefits of Pu-erh are not without substance either, as according to
scientific research it helps reduce cholesterol, increase metabolism and aids in
digestion, especially that of fatty foods. Pu-erh has been highly regarded in
Traditional Chinese Medicine for many years, maybe the health benefits are in
the abundant microbial activity, in which case it's similar to other living
foods we hold in high regard, such as live yoghurt for example. As
with a lot of teas Pu-erh gets its name from its birthplace,
therefore the small county of Pu-erh in China's Yunnan Province can be thought
of as its true home, and to this day Yunnan Province is still a major
producer of these exceptional teas. One of the finest Pu-erh Teas is thought
to be from an area called the Six Famous Mountains in Xishuanbanna, and
a well aged tea of exceptional quality from here can easily find its way into
the hands of a private collector. There are thought to be some private collections worth
hundreds of thousands of dollars, but when you consider a 30 year old plus
Pu-erh can sell for as much as $1000 per pound then this becomes very easy
to believe.
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