Pu’er, potentially the most romantic, complex and exotic of all the Chinese teas, is also possibly chama’s favourite. The tea is called a “fully fermented” tea. In the tea context, fermentation refers to loose leaf being piled at specific temperatures to spark chemical processes which break down the leaf and trigger biochemical changes in the leaf. Made from older leaves on older bushes (and even trees), Pu’er is traditionally packed into compact cakes or bing to facilitate lengthy storage and even longer journeys the tea would make around Asia. Fine Pu’er tea is like good wine; the longer it is stored, the more complex its flavours become and the steeper a price it fetches amongst the lively Pu’er passionata which is growing in number from Taiwan to Hong Kong and throughout China.
Pu’er tea became popular during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It was most popular amongst Tibetans, the southwest tribes of Yunnan province. It is now packed in 3 main ways, in round bing, smaller tuocha (mini bing)and loose, though purists will insist on bing where the aging process can give a bing a personality reflecting its history and storage environs.
Pu’er tea is big business in China, not least in part due to the supposed health benefits of drinking it, including weight loss and reducing cancer and heart disease.
Brewing Tips:
- 4-5g per cup
- Water Temperature 100°C
- Steep Time: 1-2 minutes (it’s up to you!)
