Pu'er is slowly becoming more popular among western tea drinkers as more is learnt about this strange kind of Chinese tea. The latest Taiwanese research, indicating that pu'er could actually be healthy, may lead to the tea being drunk more occasionally outside its traditional domain of southern China. Pu'er originates from Yunnan province in southwest China, where it has been prepared and drunk for over a thousand years. Among all the classes of tea, it is unusual in that pu'er is the only kind which actually undergoes a true microbial fermentation during its processing. Various forms of pu'er exist from compressed or 'brick' teas to rolled loose-leaf. Ageing is considered beneficial not only to the quality of the tea but also its efficacy. Young pu'ers, and that can mean teas as young as 10 years, may still retain an astringent green tea-like flavour, while the older pu'ers take on a rich and complex panoply of flavours. However, it is the rare, old pu'ers (of 30 years plus) that command the high prices and have traditionally been sought after by the health conscious Chinese tea connoisseurs. The drinking and cellaring of pu'er teas are surely to catch on in the West when more is understood about this exotic class of tea.

Cellaring Pu'er
Pu'er tea is a fermented and aged green tea, and exists in loose as well as compressed form, in a variety of grades. All pu'er teas tend to have a musty smell, somewhat reminiscent of wet mushrooms. The taste of these teas is much more pleasant, with the best grades possessing a sweet & mellow flavour. They produce a strongly coloured liquor (almost black) and the one serve of leaf is capable of a great many infusions. The best pu'er teas are made from ancient tea bushes (some of which are so old - over 1000 years - they are tall trees!). If good pu'er tea is stored properly it will improve with age, rather like a good wine. Very old pu'er is highly valued and can fetch enormous sums per ounce, making the 'cellaring' of good pu'er at least as good an investment as cellaring red wine. In fact aged pu'er can improve over at least 100 years, whereas very few wines would last that distance! As enthusiastic consumers of both types of anti-oxidant, we recommend hedging your bets and cellaring both!

For better information on Bing Cha & the best
Yunnan Pu'er this year contact Gray & Seddon.
PU'ER ENQUIRIES