Pu-erh Tea

What is aged tea and why is it so costly? The world of puerh teas is one steeped in secret. It does not assist with its case either that numerous farmers and manufacturers of puerh teas in the Yunnan area of China adds to this concept of confusion with their own practice and individual workmanship. What does it mean to “age” the tea? Why is some company offering a tea cake from ten years back at the rate of $1,500 per piece? Listed below, we will try to analyze what occurs to the puerh tea throughout the aging procedure, introduce the types of puerh teas, and share some fascinating facts to better help you in comprehending this remarkable tea and maybe soon, find out to appreciate its distinct character.

Characteristics

The aging procedure of puerh teas provides a smoother and more complex taste that is frequently overshadowed by the “freshness” from its preliminary harvest. However, it is essential to know that there is a prime time to delight in each of the two types of puerh tea.

Raw

Given that this is puerh tea in its most fundamental type, the raw puerh often has the highest investment worth because of how flexible and varied in taste it might become. Its preliminary tastes consist of floral notes with ample of grape-like aroma that looks like a delicate glass of chardonnay. With time, its delicacy will gradually evolve and develop to offer a much deeper and earthier tone with a smoother texture and sweet after taste. Raw puerh tea is typically cost a much greater price point than its ripe counter part due to its capability to progress and grow in time, with almost no expiration date. Connoisseurs frequently buy more than one tea cake each year so that they can keep one kept for aging functions (this can be attained simply by saving the cake in loose product packaging in a dark, cool place to make sure just a minimum quantity of wetness and air might reach the tea leaves), while having another tea cake that they can open throughout the years to delight in and taste the difference. Because raw puerh is extremely flexible, its optimum time for tasting differs according to personal taste, however it is generally advised that the tasting happens after 2 to 3 years from its date of production to ensure that the “roughness” of the tea has actually already been smoothed over.

Within our collection, we are providing the Wild Doe, Silk Road, and Queen Bee (coming quickly!) for your consideration. We suggest starting from Wild Doe if you are brand-new to raw puerh as it yields a really smooth and delicately flower cup of golden delight. Silk Road is our newest find and has a slightly more complicated taste with ample of room for aging. When it comes to the crown gem Queen Bee, which belongs to our Bloom Label collection, this splendid raw puerh was gathered from the prestigious mountain area of Yiwu in spring 2020, and we will be offering it throughout 3 forms for the best benefit and enjoyment: loose, cake, and ball.

Ripe

This puerh tea uses a completely various experience than its raw kind. Because of the heat and wetness applied to the rough tea throughout its production procedure, ripe puerh tea often has a flavor profile of heightened earthiness and woody sweetness that some may find state it resembles a medical and mossy scent. Nevertheless, with every infusion and as its aging procedure continues, that potent earthiness will gently decrease to yield a far more layered flavor with its signature woodiness and a sweet date finish.

We offer ripe puerh in 2 tea cake kind (Dark Stag and Everlasting) and a “loose-leaf” that are clusters formed naturally throughout the piling procedure, which we called Old Dome. We recommend Old Dome as an intro to ripe puerh teas because of its hassle-free cluster type. Dark Stag produces all the distinctive qualities of a ripe puerh, with an alluring finish. And as for Everlasting, a member of our Blossom Label collection and was produced in 2015, this premium tea offers the most diverse tastes that could just be produced through several years of aging. It has actually been presumed by tea masters and specialists alike that the prime-time show to delight in a high quality ripe puerh is in between 8 to ten years of aging. [1]

History of pu-erh tea

Pu-erh tea can be traced back to the Yunnan Province during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220CE). Trade in Pu-erh tea started in the Tang Dynasty, became famous during the Ming Dynasty and was promoted in the Qing Dynasty.

Pu-erh was transported by mules and horses in long caravans along established paths that ended up being referred to as the Tea Horse Roadways. Traders would barter for tea in the markets of Pu-erh County and after that employ the caravans to bring the tea back to their particular homes.

The increasing need for a tea that could be easily transported and did not spoil on long journeys sent out providers on a frenzy to come up with ways to maintain the tea. It was found that with the fermentation of the leaves, the tea not only kept fresh however it actually improved with age. Individuals quickly discovered that pu-erh also aided with digestion, supplied other nutrients to their diet, and due to the fact that it was so inexpensive, it quickly became a popular family facility. Pu-erh tea was extremely treasured and it ended up being a powerful tool for bartering among traveling merchants.

Pu-erh tea today

Today, pu-erh continues to be considered as an extremely valued product. Even in contemporary society, a well-preserved pu-erh still keeps its worth and stays a home reward.

In western society, the popularity of pu-erh tea is only just now being presented to the mainstream population of tea drinkers, propagated by new buzz created by mass-media about its many salubrious results. It is only a matter of time before the beauty and benefits of pu-erh tea ended up being commonplace household understanding. [2]

Pu-erh Tea Shapes

Among the more distinct qualities of pu-erh tea is its many shapes. Pu-erh frequently is available in shaped types, such as bricks, cakes (which are disc-shaped and also referred to as ‘bing cha’) and ‘tuo cha’ (which are formed like small bowls). These shapes make the transportation and storage of pu-erh hassle-free.

Pu-erh might also be in loose type (like other loose-leaf teas) or packed into pomelo fruit or bamboo stalks. Occasionally, it is offered in teabags. [3]

How it’s made (Sheng Puer or “Sheng Pu-erh”)

Raw puer by standard meaning is an easy green tea. It’s picked, pan-fired, rolled, and dried. However there are nuances that make it very different from what we would consider traditional Chinese green tea and help with the capability for modification in time. Here’s a list of the noteworthy distinctions.

Picking

Due to the fact that it’s an easy product, raw leaf matters. The specific place of those plants and whether they are wild tea trees or cultivated bushes play substantial functions. For the most pricey puer you are frequently spending for leaves picked from wild trees from a very particular area. Less expensive puer is normally made from cultivated plants. The one isn’t always better than the other, but enthusiasts normally pay attention to where the raw leaf comes from.

Pan-firing

The leaves are roasted in a large wok to prevent most enzymatic oxidation even more down the line (a procedure called “kill-green”), however they are exempt to any further hot-air drying to fully de-enzyme the leaves, like green tea.

Drying

Puer is sun-dried, not maker dried, which makes the drying process imperfect and preserves the components for post-fermentation.

After drying, the tea (now described as “mao cha” or “rough tea”) is an end product that can be:.

Packaged up as-is and sold.

Pushed into cakes or other shapes and offered. The pressed cake is formally considered a “final product” and they do look extremely great.

Send to end up being shu or “ripe” puer.

How it’s made (” Ripe” or “Shu” Puer– often spelled “Shou Puer”)

As specified above, “Shu puer” (” ripe puer”) begins as raw puer, which is then subjected to an “sped up post-fermentation” procedure, which is the defining element of all “dark tea.” The function of this process for ripe puer is to simulate the results of well-aged raw puer (which takes lots of, several years) and condense that into a matter of 6-8 weeks. Ripe puer accomplishes this through a method called pile-fermentation.

Ended up raw puer is piled up into long rows or single stacks, moistened, and covered with a heavy cloth. This starts a microbial fermentation process that will last for one week. The amount of tea utilized in each batch is a crucial choice since each pile is its own micro-climate and the quantity of tea utilized will affect the results. The temperature is carefully kept an eye on to remain around 160 degrees. This process is not different from composting, though we was reluctant to point out that. If it assures you, we drink ripe puer all the time.

Final Drying

After one week the heavy fabric covers are eliminated. Then a machine is utilized to separate the stacks for correct air circulation and re-piled so it can air dry. This stack is turned approximately when each week until the procedure ends about 4 to 5 weeks later. At this point, ripe puer is an end product that can be packaged up loose or sent to be pressed into shapes before being sold (similar to the raw mao cha).

What is with that Pu-erh tea taste?

Puer tea, raw or ripe, has an unusual flavor profile that is unfamiliar to numerous in the west, but once you get hooked, you never ever go back.

Raw puer tends to have a profile of wild fruit and grain (emphasis on “wild”). There can sometimes be heartier, gamey, borderline smoky aspects to them, however all these adjectives are a little stretch, except for the use of “wild.”.

The shu puer result is generally dark, earthy, and smooth. You can steep the leaves as long as you like and not a drop of bitterness will come through. But there is likewise a leathery, compost, barnyard character to them (and we mean this with genuine flattery) that some find to be an obtained taste.

How to Prepare Puer Tea

There is no right or wrong way to make puer tea. It can be steeped lots of ways and with several steeping tools. Here are two fundamental methods to it:.

Western steeping technique:

Gongfu preparation of raw (sheng) puerGongfu preparation of raw (sheng) puer.

This is for when you are soaking a lower quantity of leaves for a longer time period (typically for a single mug or a teapot). This is the most typical method in the United States and is symbolized by the tea bag. If you are using loose leaf tea (and we recommend you do) our recommended portions for black tea are:.

For Raw Puer:

3-4 grams of dry tea leaves per 8-12 ounces of liquid. Steep for 2-3 minutes with newly boiled water. Constantly get used to suit your tastes. Re-steep the leaves if preferred.

For Ripe Puer:

3-4 grams of dry tea leaves per 8-12 ounces of liquid. Usage water that has simply been brought to a boil and steep as long as you like since the tea will not get bitter. If you steep the leaves for short periods of time, there will be more chances for re-steeping of those same leaves. However long steeps will not leave much flavor in the leaf to extract later on.

Standard Steeping method:

This uses a bigger amount of leaves in smaller amounts of water for shorter periods of time. The leaves will yield many steepings this way. There are numerous methods to do this and they are a lot of enjoyable to check out (and zero factor to be frightened). The listed below directions are an excellent standard to start from if using a gaiwan, however can be adjusted based on the devices you are utilizing:.

Usage approximately one gram of tea per fluid ounce of near boiling water in your gaiwan. Steep the leaves for 5 seconds and decant. Discard this brief preliminary steep, which is referred to as a rinse. Re-steep the very same leaves now for roughly 15-30 seconds. Decant into your cup or serving pitcher and enjoy. Repeat as much as the leaves continue to yield satisfying outcomes– increasing the steep time of each round. Pay attention to not just the flavor in the cup however the scent and the look of the steeped leaves. This is all part of the experience. Change any above-mentioned factor to fit your tastes.

How Much Caffeine remains in Puer Tea?

All tea comes from the exact same plant (Camellia sinensis), so all tea has caffeine, including puer. There are three elements you control that figure out how much caffeine ends up in your cup:.

1. Just how much leaf you use (more leaf equals more caffeine readily available to extract)
2. How hot you high it (the hotter the water, the more caffeine extracts into your cup)
3. For how long you steep it (the longer it steeps, the more caffeine is extracted from the leaf) [4]

8 Health Benefits of Pu-Erh Tea

1. Increases Energy

Thanks to the caffeine in pu-erh tea, consuming a cup a day can assist to increase your energy levels and focus. Every 8-ounce cup of pu-erh tea includes about 60 to 70 milligrams of caffeine compared to the 105 milligrams in a standard cup of coffee. This makes pu-erh tea an excellent choice for people who find themselves too jittery after just one cup of coffee.

Caffeine can help to improve mental focus and provide you that additional increase you need to survive difficult afternoons. Drinking pu-erh tea can assist you focus much better and settle in to your day. Reserving a couple of moments to consume a cup of pu-erh tea can assist you unwind and refocus prior to returning to work stimulated.

2. Promotes a Healthy Heart

By consuming one cup of pu-erh tea a day, you can assist to lower your danger of cardiovascular disease while taking pleasure in a delicious, soothing drink. Pu-erh tea aids in avoiding cardiovascular disease since it assists produce lovastatin. This natural statin is commonly utilized to treat high cholesterol.

A Chinese study reveals that pu-erh tea can assist to lower bad cholesterol, also called LDL cholesterol, and prevent obesity-related illness. This research study used pu-erh tea on rats with high-fat diet plans over an eight-week duration.

The rats that received pu-erh tea had lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which are typically related to weight problems. At the same time, pu-erh tea increased great cholesterol known as HDL cholesterol. Greater HDL cholesterol levels have been related to a lower risk of heart problem.

3. Cleans Toxic Substances and Free Radicals

Pu-erh tea utilizes its oxidative residential or commercial properties to deliver increased levels of oxygen, which improves flow and blood flow. By delivering more oxygen to the brain, pu-erh tea can help combat headaches and migraines and reduces free radicals that can trigger serious health problems.

In traditional Chinese medicine, pu-erh tea has been utilized to help the spleen and stomach in filtering toxins throughout the body. Pu-erh tea contains simple sugars and microorganisms that help the spleen cleanse blood and eliminate complimentary radicals. You can consume pu-erh tea everyday to delight in consistent impacts or utilize it periodically as a cleanse to restore your body’s important functions.

4. Avoids Cancer

Research studies have revealed that constant intake of pu-erh tea can fight cancer and avoid the development of new cancer cells. One research study by the University of Kunming Science and Technology demonstrated the ability of pu-erh tea components to target specific tumor cells with very little side effects (3 ). A second study showed that pu-erh tea has the ability to prevent the development of cancer cells by inhibiting cell expansion.

Researchers believe the oxidized tea polyphenols are the factor behind pu-erh tea’s potential use in avoiding or treating certain kinds of cancer. These polyphenols work to get rid of free radicals and help to stop the production of irregular cells. Just like any brand-new treatment, it is very important to discuss your alternatives with a medical professional before devoting to any strategy.

5. Protects Bone Health

It’s obvious that bones lose density and become weaker as you age. The risk of major bone conditions such as osteoporosis increases as you get older and can result in hospitalizations in severe cases.

Many things can contribute to the weakening of bones consisting of inactivity and an absence of essential minerals and vitamins. Smoking and drinking can likewise be contributing elements to developing bone diseases as you age.

Studies on animals have actually shown that the polyphenols in tea can help to establish higher bone mass and higher bone strength. These polyphenols likewise contain anti-oxidants with anti-inflammatory properties that help to lessen pain and discomfort.

6. Help in Weight-loss

Pu-erh tea enhances food digestion and can help relieve symptoms of constipation thanks to the presence of lovastatin in these tea leaves. The antioxidants and polyphenols in pu-erh teas also aid in digestion and fat breakdown.

Studies have revealed that pu-erh tea can help you reduce weight when combined with a healthy diet plan and exercise. Pu-erh tea reduces the synthesis of fats, which can help your body stop producing higher levels of fat. That doesn’t merely mean you can eat a high-fat diet, beverage pu-erh tea and drop weight. To achieve any weight loss, you’ll still require to work out regularly and eat healthy foods.

Pu-erh tea also motivates your body to produce the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which work to minimize stores of fats. Consume one cup of pu-erh tea after a meal one or two times a day to reap the health advantages that help in weight-loss.

7. Minimizes Tension

While pu-erh tea contains caffeine, that does not imply it’ll make you wired or jittery. In fact, pu-erh tea can assist to decrease stress and its inflammatory residential or commercial properties help in relaxation when experiencing small aches and pains.

Pu-erh tea includes the phyto-chemicals GABA and theanine, which have actually been credited to lower tension levels. These phyto-chemicals increase the production of melatonin, which can assist in much better sleep and a calmer temperament throughout the day.

8. Prevents Disease

Because pu-erh tea is high in antioxidants and vitamin C, consuming a cup of this brew every day can help avoid diseases such as the acute rhinitis and flu. Pu-erh tea is fermented, implying it has higher concentrations of these antioxidants than non-fermented teas. Because pu-erh tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, it also has more antioxidants and disease-fighting catechins than natural teas. [5]

Why Tea Addicts Go Bananas for Pu-Erh?

n the war on rot, aging food is a tactical retreat. We can’t beat nature at its own game, so we join it, and let microbes have their method with meat or cheese in the hopes of establishing deeper, more intricate flavors than the fresh variations can use.

There’s less rot involved when we age beverages like white wine, beer, and scotch, however it’s still a testy alliance with nature– quiting the fresh, fiery tastes of youth for something deeper, layered, and more mature. Age, though it manifests in numerous types, has a character all its own. You know it when you taste it; you’re drinking time.

The Western world’s long been keen on aging all kinds of drinks, however up until the last couple decades or so, the idea of using the very same principles to tea was mainly unidentified. Head over to China, however, and you quickly see that aged tea is as much a part of life as 21-year-old whiskey and prized vintages of Champagne.

Why age tea at all? Many tea does not so much age as turn stale and dead. However with the right environment, and the right tea, you get something utterly unique: a beverage that slides down your throat and hugs your belly, relaxes your muscles and soothes your mind. The very best aged tea is medication you want to gulp, filled with bitter chocolate or stonefruit or damp, sweet soil. And for the intricacy of what you’re consuming, it can cost method, method less per serving than that bottle of old Scotch.

While you can age many kinds of tea (I’m sitting on some charming oolong practically as old as my parents), none is more lusted after than the pride of Yunnan Province, a tea hundreds– if not thousands– of years in the making: pu-erh.

Pu-erh, which is processed in an unique method to motivate microbial fermentation after the leaves are dried, ages more dynamically than any tea out there. It does not have fans. It has addicts who buy kilos of the stuff at a time to bliss out on days-long developing sessions, only dropping out of their highs enough time to argue over the best pu-erh blends, growing areas, and storage approaches. There are understanding novices who buy, gift, and drink the tea to get social status amongst Chinese elite. And there are pu-erh financiers, too, gambling on a particular tea’s aging potential, who construct thriving futures markets and, when it comes to a major bust in 2007, crash them.

Over in the West, pu-erh is a specific niche market within a niche market. However its enthusiasts are growing. And if there’s a tea that’s ready for the big time outside Asia, this is it. [6]

Does pu-erh have caffeine?

Pu-erh is a caffeinated tea, with caffeine levels differing depending upon aspects like high time, water temperature level, and the tea plant itself. Remarkably, the post-fermentation process has actually been shown to increase caffeine content, meaning ripe pu-erh is more fermented than raw pu-erh.

Although pu-erh does have caffeine, studies have hinted at its effects on actually helping enhance your sleep quality. That’s due to the fact that it can decrease stress and anxiety, quiet the mind, and promote melatonin production. [7]

Negative effects

When taken by mouth: Drinking pu-erh tea is potentially SAFE for a lot of healthy grownups in moderate quantities (about 4 cups daily).

Pu-erh tea is perhaps UNSAFE when taken for a long period of time or in high dosages (more than 4 cups daily). Drinking big amounts of pu-erh tea may trigger side effects due to its caffeine material. These side effects consisting of headache, nervousness, sleep problems, throwing up, diarrhea, irritation, irregular heartbeat, tremor, heartburn, lightheadedness, ringing in the ears, convulsions, and confusion. Also, people who consume a great deal of pu-erh tea every day might need to consume more tea to get the very same effects. They might also become “reliant” on tea to the point that they develop withdrawal signs if they all of a sudden stop consuming it. [8]

Stopping and withdrawal

Unless you are totally cutting out caffeine, you should have no problems stopping pu-erh tea, and you shouldn’t have any withdrawal signs.

However, if pu-erh tea is the only source of caffeine you were consuming, or if you’re cutting out all caffeine in addition to pu-erh tea, you might experience some signs of caffeine withdrawal, consisting of fatigue, headaches, and trouble focusing.

Still, many caffeine withdrawal symptoms only last for about 1 week. [9]

Unique preventative measures and cautions

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, pu-erh tea in percentages is most likely not harmful. Nevertheless, do not consume more than 2 cups of pu-erh tea in a day. Excessive caffeine may cause miscarriage, premature delivery, low birth weight, and harm to the infant.

If you are breast-feeding, small amounts in drinking pu-erh tea is also crucial. Caffeine enters breast milk, so nursing moms need to carefully monitor caffeine consumption to make certain it is on the low side. Caffeine in large quantities might be risky throughout breast-feeding. Caffeine can trigger sleep disturbances, irritation, and increased bowel activity in breast-fed infants.

Kids: Pu-erh tea appears to be safe in kids in amounts commonly found in foods and beverages.

Stress and anxiety conditions: The caffeine in pu-erh tea might make these conditions even worse.

Bleeding disorders: There is concern that pu-erh tea may make bleeding disorders worse because of its caffeine material. Use pu-erh tea with care if you have a bleeding condition.

Heart disease: The caffeine in pu-erh tea can trigger irregular heartbeat in some people. Use pu-erh tea with caution if you have a heart condition.

Diabetes: Some research study suggests that caffeine might impact the way the body uses sugar and might make diabetes worse. However the impact of caffeine-containing herbs and drinks such as pu-erh tea has actually not been studied. If you have diabetes, use pu-erh tea with care.

Diarrhea: Pu-erh tea contains caffeine. The caffeine in pu-erh tea, specifically when taken in big amounts, can aggravate diarrhea.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Pu-erh tea contains caffeine. The caffeine in pu-erh tea, especially when taken in large amounts, can get worse diarrhea and may aggravate symptoms of IBS.

An eye condition called glaucoma: The caffeine in pu-erh tea increases the pressure inside the eye. The increase happens within thirty minutes and lasts for at least 90 minutes after consuming pu-erh tea.

Hypertension: The caffeine in pu-erh tea may increase high blood pressure in individuals with hypertension. Nevertheless, this result might be less in people who utilize caffeine regularly.

Weak bones (osteoporosis): The caffeine in pu-erh tea can increase the amount of calcium that is flushed out in the urine. If you have osteoporosis or low bone density, caffeine must be limited to less than 300 mg per day (roughly 2-3 cups of coffee). It’s also a great concept to get extra calcium to make up for the amount that may be lost in the urine. Older ladies with an acquired disorder that affects the method vitamin D is used must use caffeine with care. Vitamin D deals with calcium to build bones. [10]

Conclusion

Pu-erh Tea, a fermented tea that stemmed from the Yunnan district in the southwestern province of China, has been increasing in popularity over the past few years. This remarkable drink continues to be extremely regarded even after being found thousand years ago due to its special approach of production and incomparable taste, flavor, and scent.

No matter what you prefer, whether it be Raw or Ripe Pu-erh tea, you can be guaranteed that the Pu-erh tea does not just deliver a delightful gustatory experience but also offers a wide variety of health take advantage of weight-loss to much better skin health. [11]

References

1. https://www.boontea.com/post/aged-tea-puerh-tea
2. https://www.artoftea.com/blogs/tea-101/what-is-pu-erh-tea
3. https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-pu-erh-tea-766434
4. https://www.teasource.com/pages/all-about-puer-tea
5. https://senchateabar.com/blogs/blog/pu-erh-health-benefits
6. https://www.seriouseats.com/what-is-puerh-tea-where-to-buy
7. https://steepeddreams.com/blog/what-is-puerh
8. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1169/pu-erh-tea
9. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/pu-erh-tea-benefits#stopping-and-withdrawal
10. https://www.rxlist.com/pu-erh_tea/supplements.htm
11. https://cspuerh.com/blogs/tea-101/pu-erh-tea-101