chinese black tea pu erh,Discover the Rich Flavor and Benefits of Premium Puer Tea

One of China’s most unique teas, Puer has a history that stretches back many hundreds of years. Originally from the Yunnan Province in southwestern China, Puer tea is characterized by a special character due to its aging. For seasoned tea drinkers and newcomers alike, recognizing the importance of Puer tea opens up a brand new level of tea experience.

What is Puer Tea?

The process of growing Puer tea consists of leaves of the plant called, the same plant out of which other tea leaves like green tea's, blue tea's and black tea's are made. The tea is named after the local city of Pu'er in Yunnan. Puer is therefore different from other varieties of teas since it broadens its flavor over time owing to an additional fermentation process it is subjected to during its making. 

Due to its production methods, there are two main types of Puer tea: Sheng (raw) Puer and Shou (ripe) Puer. Sheng Puer is more popular amongst enthusiasts and is known to have more astringent flavors in its youth, mellowing out with aging. On the similar note, Shou Puer goes through a different fermentation process which is faster allowing its flavors to be richer and full of earthiness.

The Maturing of Puer Tea 

It is the maturity of puer tea that offers it its most determining feature. When the leaves are collected from harvest, they are usually compressed into cakes blocks or some other form and its during this time that the puer tea ferments and ages. With the passing of time, expansion occurs resulting in increased robust flavor of the tea which comes with a spectrum of earthy, woody and sweet fruity notes.

But like many teas, puer tea can take several years to mature, which a number of tea lovers will go through in order to age the tea and change its flavours. Unlike other teas that have a best before date, Puer tea can remain edible for years or even decades, growing in taste making it highly sought after especially among the collectors and tea fans.

The Maturing of Puer Tea: Health Benefits 

In addition to all these, Puer tea has a distinct taste, Puer tea also has a famous reputation for its rich health benefits. There are several researches indicating that Puer tea is helpful in weight control, stimulating digestion and even maintaining the health of the heart. The fermentation process enables digestion of constituents of the tea easier as they are released by the body for usage.

Puer digestion: Puer tea is easily and mostly used in tea cups after big meals to relieve the feeling of fullness. It is known to reduce bloating or the feeling of fullness while enhancing the normal functioning of the stomach.

Loss of Weight: The regular consumption of Puer tea may increase metabolic rate and fat break down which makes it a better option for weight management. 

Heart Disease: Some studies have indicated that consumption of Puer tea may help with the chances of developing high cholesterol levels, and that would help in improving heart health. 

Steps to Brew Puer Tea

For an ideally brewed Puer tea, measure approximately 5-8 grams of tea for every 100 ml of water. For Sheng Puer, a temperature of 85-90’C (185-194’F) works well while for Shou Puer a temperature of approximately 95’C would be necessary (203’F). For the first infusion, steep the tea for 20-30 seconds, then increase the steeping time progressively for subsequent infusions. 

Puer Tea

Most people however prefer several infusions because the taste of the tea gets slightly different with every steeping making Puer tea a very interesting option for adventurous tea drinkers.