Puerh was first grown and traded in the ancient tea market hub in the Yunnan province of southwest China - Puerh village. It comes from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis, as other true teas. Its liquor is reddish brown in color and it has a robust, smooth, slightly sweet flavor, although their are many variations to puerh tea, depending on soil structure, processing care, and age. Good puerh, however, requires the specific environment of the mountains of the Yunnan province, with temperature, humidity, and illumination all playing an important role in creating the broad leaves concentrated with amino acids, chlorophyll, cartenoids, and other phytonutrients.
Puerh tea's origins date back at least one thousand years, when it was offered as a tribute tea to the Emperor and high ranking officials of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Today, Puerh is a tea of the elite in China as it was centuries ago. It is also collected as a monetary investment, with tea leaves aged for thirty years worth one thousand dollars a pound.
Green Puerh vs. Black Puerh
Once the broad tea leaves are picked, they go through an initial process to become prototype leaves, known as Mao Cha. The fresh leaves are heated in a pan so that they will retain moisture. They are then rolled and laid out in the sun to dry, a process called Shai Qing.
Puerh tea can either be green or black. Green puerh is called Sheng. It is considered uncooked, because it goes through a natural aging process after the initial fermentation process. Mao Cha are compressed into either bricks, cakes, mushrooms, or other traditional shapes, or sometimes left loose. The leaves are then left to dry. This is the natural aging process that has been used to made puerh for centuries. Wet storage is practiced as well. This speeds up the aging process, although the end product is of a much lesser quality.
Black puerh, or Shu puerh is considered cooked. It goes through a carefully developed process of oxidation which transforms the chemical composition of Mao Cha, reducing the bitterness, and harnessing the smooth, malty flavor character. The processing, called pile fermentation, or Wo Dui, was developed by the Kunming Tea Factory in 1975. The post-fermented tea leaves are first piled 1 to 1.5 meters in height. They are then splashed with water, and covered with a damp cloth. The following day the leaves are turned. These steps are repeated for 30 to 40 days, until the leaves are the correct brownish-red color. They are then set out to dry.
Health Benefits of Puerh Tea
Modern research has not focused on the health benefits of peurh tea, as on puerh's popular relations, green, black, and white tea. There have been studies done on puerh's ability to lower cholesterol when drunk on a regular basis. The medicinal properties of this tea have been recorded in ancient Chinese texts, and its reputed healing powers are well known to Chinese medicine. Puerh tea, or very black tea, is known to aid in digestion, particularly after a heavy or greasy meal. The microbes in puerh work in a similar way to the good bacteria found in yogurt, helping to maintain a clean and balanced stomach environment.
Puerh is also reputed to have blood cleansing properties. Working to remove toxins from the body naturally is a very powerful attribute, as the build up of toxins is responsible for eventual health problems. In this way puerh can be anti-aging, can help those with inflammation, and possibly can help to prevent chronic diseases, such as cancer.
There are also claims that drinking puerh tea helps strengthen eyesight, assists those with diabetic problems, and encourages weight loss. While these claims may seem to make puerh a miracle tea, they are not unbelievable. Simply by increasing circulation, removing toxins, and providing polyphenols, antioxidants, and probiotics, this tea will undoubtedly help the body reach and maintain balance, which is the key to optimum health.
Source
"Pu-erh Tea." The Journal of Chinese Medicine.
