Pu-erh Tea

Deep within the mountains of Yunnan Province, China, vast tracts of ancient tea forests have been growing for hundreds of years. The heartland of Pu-erh production is in the tea-tree and tea-bush covered mountains that lie in and around the tropical region of Xishuangbanna and are located north, east, and south of Yunnan’s historic Lancang ( Mekong ) River as it winds its way south into the Southeast Asian countries of Laos and Vietnam. (Of course, this great river acts as Yunnan’s border with Burma for a good portion of its run along the western border of China.)

Pu-erh is one of China’s most interesting and unusual teas, which is a pretty grand statement for a country that makes so many astonishingly diverse teas. Pu-erh belongs to a family of both un-fermented and fermented tea known as Hei Cha. Pu-erh is the largest member of this family of tea and is also the strongest tasting, most diverse and most complex in flavor. Pu-erh is made differently than other types of Chinese tea, and considering the variations in fresh leaf that can be used in the blends, the degree of aging, and the processing methods that can be called upon, the variations in finished product become vast.

Pu-erh is often purchased as a compressed disc of tea known as a beeng cha, or a bird’s-nest-shaped piece called a tuo cha. Other shapes, such as rectangles, squares, small and large ‘melons’, and ‘mushrooms’ are made as well. Loose-leaf Pu-erh is also made from fresh leaf harvested from various mountain villages and local and regional geographic areas of Yunnan.

A Note About Tea Trekker’s Pu-erh Selection (effective July 2019):

We are not sourcing full-size Pu-erh cakes as actively as we once were.

When a special tong or two come our way we will grab it, and we will continue with the very drinkable and ‘drink-up-able’ 100 gram size of beeng, as well as the loose-leaf sheng and shou forms that are basically ready-to-drink; but there are so many dedicated tea people who are really concentrating on Pu-Erh as their primary focus that we will gladly yield to their discoveries in all the various price points. We really need to focus on what our special expertise is, which is East and South Asian tea, as those require all the time that we have available in our busy days!

We usually have several full-size beengs in the pipeline and some that we have been aging, but their arrival and release will be sporadic. Over this summer/autumn (2020) we expect to re-inventory and release some of the Pu-erh beengs that we have collected and been storing, and we will increase our hei cha selection, but we no longer have the time to explore and source either Pu-erh or hei cha above a certain price point.

We were once quite enthusiastic about compressed tea and the whole category of Pu-erh, hei cha, etc, and the wonderful story of fermented tea in the history of China and tea, but one can only do so much in a day; so we are now committed to focus on what we know that we can accomplish, rather than tease you and not produce.

For us, Pu-erh will now be a fun add-on, rather than an expansive or expanding category. Pu-erh is quite complex and really deserves more attention than we can give to it at this time.

We strongly encourage our customers to be enthusiastic about all ‘dark teas’. The only caveat that we put forward is that it is critical that you, as a consumer, are careful and vigilant (especially above a certain price point), as Pu-erh can be very difficult to authenticate. So buyer beware!

I definitely encourage you to have an interest in all things tea,

Bob

The History of Pu-erh

This tea was first made during the Tang dynasty (618-907) when tea was traded for horses with people who lived along China’s borders. Tea trading became so important that the Tea Horse Route was established from southern Yunnan up over the mountains into Tibet and beyond. Caravans of men and horses endured perilous journeys that took as long as six months in each direction to reach their destination over dangerous and isolated mountain routes while precariously transporting large cargoes of valuable tea.

Origins of Pu-erh

Happily, this historic tea continues to be made today. The most sought after versions of Pu-erh are made from the leaf and buds of ancient tea trees, or those that contain a high percentage of this leaf material. Ancient tea trees are those that are more than 100 years of age and 20-30 feet tall that grow organically in a natural forest setting. Most ancient tea forests are under the care of ethic people such as Hani, Lahu and Yi who live in villages scattered throughout the tea mountains of Yunnan.

Sheng & Shou Pu-erh: What is the Difference?

The manufacturing process used to make Pu-erh tea is very different than that of other Chinese teas. And, the two types of Pu-erh, sheng and shou, are made quite differently from one another. Both types of Pu-erh are made as compressed tea and loose-leaf tea.

Sheng Pu-erh: the un-fermented version of this tea. It is made by a natural traditional process that preserves the presence of live microbes on both the loose-leaf and the compressed shapes of this tea. It is these microbes that are responsible for transforming this tea by slow fermentation (over years and decades) into something magnificent, rich and full in the mouth. Slow, natural fermentation is the sheng Pu-erh style. This tea can be drunk when young, either as loose-leaf tea or as compressed tea. Sheng Pu-erh is prized by tea collectors and tea enthusiasts for its ability to age and transform over time.

Shou Pu-erh: the fermented version of this tea. Shou Pu-erh undergoes an accelerated, rapid microbial fermentation process (wo dui) in the tea factory. Shou Pu-erh is ready for drinking right away or can be stored to mellow and sweeten over time. It will not completely transform the way that sheng Pu-erh does. A well-made shou Pu-erh beeng cha can hint at how a well-aged, transformed sheng Pu-erh beeng cha might taste following years of proper storage. Shou Pu-erh is made for immediate drinking and is the most common style of Pu-erh enjoyed in households throughout China.

View our Selection of Pu-erh:

China Sheng Pu-erh (un-fermented)