WHAT IS PU-ERH TEA?

Pu-erh tea is made from the broad leaf variety (camellia sinensis var. assamica) of the tea plant camellia sinensis from the Southwest region of Yunnan China, believed to be the birthplace of tea. Over 1200 years ago, the people of the area began cultivating "tea gardens," open areas, mostly in the high mountains, where tea trees are grown, coexisting with the native plants and ecology. Today these tea gardens continue to be tended and harvested by the aborigines of this region. Not only are we privileged to be able to consume tea from these ancient tea trees, the traditional packaging and processing of the tea have remained essentially unchanged to this date, earning Pu-erh tea the reputation of being the "King of Teas" or the "Historical Tea."

While most teas, by and large, are best consumed soon after production to retain both their flavor and antioxidant value, Pu-erh can be aged and refined like wine. It undergoes a fermentation process where microbes act on the tea leaves over time, causing the leaves to darken and the flavor to change, becoming smoother. Depending on the conditions and environment of aging, the taste can transform through various stages of being fruity, nutty, grassy, herbal and earthy.

There are two types of Pu-erh tea, what is referred to as "Raw Pu-erh" and what is called "Ripe Pu-erh." These two Pu-erh types are distinguished by their respective aging methods. Both types of Pu-erh are created from the same raw materials, freshly harvested leaves that have been pan-fried manually and sun-dried in open air. The Raw Pu-erh refers to tea cakes or bricks made from raw materials without additional processing. Raw Pu-erh can be consumed immediately to enjoy flavors similar to green tea, or it can be left to age in a natural environment to achieve a mellower, smoother flavor. The naturally aged Raw Pu-erh teas, particularly those made from premium raw material, are the most sought-after by tea connoisseurs.

The Ripe Pu-erh offers an alternative to having to wait ten to thirty years for the Raw Pu-erh to mature. In the 1970's, the industry developed a method to artificially accelerate the aging process by "cooking" Pu-erh tea. This "cooking" process involves incubating the tea in a moisture-rich environment where microbial activity causes the temperature to rise, drastically intensifying the fermentation process. This process typically takes a few months to complete.

While being subject to the fermentation process, whether natural or accelerated, Pu-erh tea loses some of the antioxidant benefits present in fresh tea leaves. On the other hand, studies have shown that the microbial activity enhances the creation of other substances beneficial to our health, such as theaflavins and thearubigins.

The respective flavor of the two types of Pu-erh are distinctively different. The new Raw Pu-erh often offers an intense, fresh, and fruity and sometimes grassy flavor, while the Ripe or aged Raw Pu-erh offers an earthy, smoky, and date flavor.

To see our photo gallery of the Pu-erh region, the Pu-erh tea production process and other interesting images, click here.

CRITERIA FOR CHOOSING TEA

The quality of Pu-erh tea is based on a number of factors: the origin of its raw material, the method of cultivation, the time of the year it is harvested, and the particular conditions under which it is stored.

Good quality Pu-erh tea comes from the four major Pu-erh producing regions in Yunnan, namely, Simao, Xishuangbanna, Boshan, and Lincang. These tea producing regions are situated in the southwestern corner of China, bordering Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Because these regions enjoy a mild, subtropical climate with an abundance of annual rainfall and the soil is rich in minerals with inherently balanced pH values, they are ideal for cultivating Pu-erh tea trees. According to the Pu-erh Yunnan Local Standards, the raw materials used to produce Pu-erh tea must be the broad-leaf species from Yunnan Province. Tea leaves from regions other than Yunnan are not considered true Pu-erh tea.

Pu-erh tea is cultivated in two different ways:

1) Plantation bushes: These plants are created from breeding or from cuttings. They are planted densely in relatively low altitudes and always kept small. Most require fertilizers and pesticides. Plantation bushes can yield large quantities of tea, and are thus able to meet the demand of mass production. This is the most common type of Pu-erh tea in today's market.
2) Old-growth trees from ecological arbor tea gardens: These trees were planted through seed selection and grown in higher altitudes. Planted via traditional methods, these trees are grown organically, utilizing resources provided by nature and maintaining the ecological balance. Most of the trees in these tea gardens are hundreds of years old. The old-growth tea trees are limited in their yearly production, but quality of tea harvested from these trees is far superior than that of the small bushes.

Tea is harvested during spring, summer and autumn. New buds break between March and May. After the buds are picked in the early spring, new growth appears every several weeks for the duration of the growing season. The spring harvest, known as the "first flush" or "early spring tea," is the finest crop of the year's production. Leaves harvested in autumn are generally second to the first flush but superior to the summer harvest in quality.


Visual Inspection:

Good quality Pu-erh loose tea or tea cakes (raw or ripe) should contain many tippy buds and strips of whole leaves and not broken leaves. The surface of the tea cake should be smooth, clean and healthy looking. A good quality Pu-erh tea cake should smell fresh and the broth should be translucent (not cloudy), aromatic and absent an odd taste.


Grade:

Pu-erh can be categorized into ten grades, one to ten. The grades are determined by the time of harvest, amount of buds, size of the leaves and freshness of the leaves. The lower the number, the better the overall quality of the leaves. Premium leaves are limited in quantity. Many tea cakes feature a blend of several grades to attain a desired flavor. This blending is usually disclosed by the tea producer. In other cases, there may be less benign reasons for producers to blend several grades of tea together.


Storage condition:

It is suggested that raw Pu-erh tea, particularly good quality raw Pu-erh tea, be stored to allow for slow aging and fermentation. For optimum results, the tea should be stored in conditions where: 1) humidity is dry to moderate; 2) temperature is moderate and maintained within a reasonable range; 3) sunlight is minimized; and 4) there is some, but not excessive, ventilation so that oxygen is provided for the fermentation process.

On the other hand, DO NOT:
• store in an environment where there are other odors as the Pu-erh has a tendency to absorb surrounding odors
• store in high humidity
• store in high temperatures
• store in sunlight for extended periods of time

PROPER BREWING

Making the perfect cup of tea is something different for everyone. Whether a cup of tea is good or not often depends on personal preference. In general, water quality, the quality of the tea leaves, the amount of tea leaves in relation to amount of water used and the brewing time all play an important role in determining the flavor of a cup of tea.

Always use filtered water or mountain spring water. To maximize the flavor, it is recommended that you use a small amount of water and brew the tea for a short time, allowing the tea to release its flavor slowly. This way, the tea will remain flavorful, even after multiple infusions. For example, use 150 ml to 250 ml of water per 10 grams (roughly 1/3 oz.) of tea leaves. You should use a small Gongfu-style tea pot or a Piao I tea cup with an inner pot. Many tea connoisseurs like to use a "gaiwan," comprised of a cup with a lid and saucer, to brew Pu-erh tea.

Before brewing, rinse the tea with boiling water twice and discard the water immediately. The purpose of rinsing the tea is two-fold: to rid the impurities in the tea and to loosen and expand the dry leaves, preparing the leaves to readily release the aroma and flavor of the tea.

Once the tea is brewed to the desired strength, immediately decant the tea out of the teapot or separate the tea leaves from the tea. Otherwise, the tea will become too strong and subsequent brews will be too weak.

To optimize the flavor of the tea, refer to the chart below for recommended infusion times. Feel free to adjust the infusion time to suit your preference.

OTHER WAYS TO ENJOY PU-ERH TEA

Pu-erh tea can be consumed by itself or mixed with flower teas, such as rose, osmanthus, or chrysanthemum. Flowers add a nice floral aroma and taste that makes the tea more interesting and enjoyable. Goji berries, high in antioxidants, may also be added to serve as a natural sweetener.

I encourage you to try and experiment different combinations to make your tea drinking experience more interesting and rewarding.

RETAIL OUTLETS

In addition to selling Bana Tea products online, we proudly sell some Bana products in the following museum gift shops in the southern California area:
• The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana ( www.bowers.org )
• The Asia Pacific Museum in Pasadena ( www.pacificasiamuseum.org )
You may want to call the museum gift shops to be sure they have the product you want in stock.