First Time
Teas often play a huge role in different cultures. China is a prime example where they have many different types of teas and tea ceremonies. Pu-erh tea is from the Yunnan province and dates back to the Qing dynasty in Chinese culture. While this is considered to be a black tea, it usually has a reddish to brownish red color and a fragrant aroma. This particular black tea is interesting because it can be drunk using raw or ripe (fermented) tea leaves. Saying the tea is brewed from raw or ripe pu-erh is referring to whether they ferment over time, like wine (natural fermentation), or cooked to quicken the fermentation process.
The process pu-erh tea goes through is similar to other teas: withering, kill-green, rolling, and sun-drying (where the leaves are constantly turned in a high heat wok to kill the enzymes responsible for oxidation and remove water from the leaves). Pu-erh tea goes through this kill-green process at a lower heat than other teas. Not all these enzymes are killed because this tea is meant to ferment. After the kill-green process, the leaves are rolled to break down the cells to help the leaves expel the rest of the water and brings out the flavor of the tea later while steeping. The next step is sun-drying the leaves. At this point the leaves can be used to brew raw, fresh pu-erh tea. Buying loose pu-erh tea is relatively new and is becoming more widely available. Traditionally, the leaves are steamed after drying and sorting so they can be compressed into tea cakes. Pu-erh tea was processed this way so that the tea could be easily packaged and transported for trading.
Raw pu-erh refers to the tea leaves and cakes which have not fermented naturally. The majority of those who drink pu-erh will either buy tea cakes, which have been fermenting for at least ten years, or buy young, raw pu-erh and age it themselves. Ripe pu-erh cakes go through an artificial fermentation process discovered in the 1970s to speed up the aging process so the tea is ready to drink.
Due to the specific way the tea is processed and fermented, pu-erh tea has significantly less caffeine than other teas. Generally, pu-erh is had after a heavy meal because it helps keep the digestive system functioning effectively. Research suggests the other health benefits include helping with weight loss, stabilizing diabetes and boosting the immune system - there is still on-going research on the validity of these benefits (Lee & Foo, 2013).
My only experience with this tea was through a classmate who enthusiastically suggested I try it. A bold, malty, creamy tea, which may have subtle floral and fruit notes while being a little thicker than other teas, sounded enticing when I first heard her rave about it. Later, she gave me a tea bag of Numi Emperor’s pu-erh tea to try. Normally I am not wary of using tea bags, but I had never heard of such a tea and wasn’t sure how to properly brew it. As it turns out, I ended up over brewing it, so it ended up tasting like hay and smelt like a horse stable. Despite this, I intend to either go to a Chinese restaurant that serves it, or find someone who knows how to brew it. This is the kind of tea you should go on a few dates to really get to know it.
Picture Credit to renchaono1 on Pixabay
Reference
Lee, L. K., & Foo, K. Y. (2013). Recent advances on the beneficial use and health implications of pu-erh tea. Food Research International, 53(2), 619-628. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2013.02.036