Puerh

(scroll down for products)

What is Puerh?
Puerh is an aged black tea from China prized for its medicinal properties and earthy flavor. Puerh is the only deliberately aged tea. In theory: the older it is the better and the more valuable it is. It is rich, earthy, and can be very strong. Puerh has active bacteria that interact with the leaf (much like yogurt) and deepen the flavor of the tea.

Where does it come from?
Most Puerh comes from the Yunnan province of southwest China, specifically around the county of Puerh.

What does puerh taste like?
Puerh can have an earthy flavor, often described as rich and dark, it can also be sweet and floral and may even leave a tingling sensation on your tongue.

How do they age it?
The specifics of aging are closely guarded trade (and government) secrets.

What are the main types of Puerh?
There are two basic categories of Puerh, what is called cooked (or black) and uncooked (or green) Puerh. Cooked Puerh is allowed to oxidize, with the leaves damp, over the course of several days, resulting in a deeper/darker leaf and brew (closer to a black tea). Uncooked Puerh is not allowed to oxidize, thus producing a lighter brew, closer to green tea.

How to Prepare Puerh:
Traditional Method:
Measure 3 grams* of tea to 6 oz of water. Pour 208-212 degree water over the leaves, and steep for 10-20 seconds. Pour off the water. This is called rinsing the leaves. It removes impurities and allows the leaves to begin opening. Pour in another 6 oz of 208-212 degree water, steep about 30 seconds and serve. The same leaves can be re-steeped in a similar fashion 4-8 times, perhaps adding 15-30 seconds to each steeping time.

Western Method:
Many westerners prefer a stronger brew. Using the same proportions of tea and the same water temperature, Puerh can be brewed almost indefinitely: five minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, even 50 minutes. When Puerh is steeped a long time it can become as full-bodied and dark as coffee, but it never turns bitter, acidic, or astringent. It just gets stronger, thicker, fuller, and sometimes sweeter. This is a very untraditional preparation method.

* Three grams of Puerh is approximately 1 measuring teaspoon. Whether it is a loose leaf Puerh or a Puerh cake/brick, the quantity should be roughly the same.