Pu-erh Tea
Pu-erh is a fermented tea that is only produced in Yunnan Province. To be even more precise, pu-erh is unique to Xishuangbanna, a tropical region in the southwest corner of Yunnan.
Pu-erh is sold in loose leaf form or as compressed bricks or discs. While some pu-erh is produced to be consumed immediately, the best pu-erh grows better with age — like good wine. As with wine, the older a pu-erh is, the more expensive it is. For pu-erh lovers, aged pu-erh cakes are something of a collector’s item.
Pu-erh has a distinctive earthy taste that takes getting used to. After my first taste of pu-erh, I described it as having a “dirt-like flavour”! But pu-erh is fascinating, boasting a great depth of character that you don’t find in many other types of tea. I persisted with pu-erh and now enjoy its earthy sweetness.
How to brew pu-erh tea
Pu-erh tea is commonly prepared gong-fu style, meaning you use more tea leaves but infuse them for a shorter period of time, for a number of infusions. Yixing teapots and gaiwans are particularly appropriate for this style of brewing.
For a more traditional method of brewing, you can use the basic parameters provided by Mary Lou and Robert Heiss in The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide: infuse the pu-erh for 2-5 minutes with freshly boiled water (93-100C / 200-212F).
Pu-erh: The only fermented tea
Mis-information abounds in the world of tea, and fermentation is a major stumbling block for many. It is an oft-repeated error that black tea is fully fermented, while green tea is not fermented. Black tea is not fermented — it is oxidized. Besides pu-erh, none of the other main types of tea — green, black, white and oolong tea — are fermented at all.
