It's All About Tea — pu-erh

If you are just starting to explore the vast and somewhat mysterious world of pu-erh, chances are you’ve been purchasing samples. The samples are an excellent way to get acquainted with the tea and see what you like before investing in a whole cake. An entire pu-erh cake can be pricey, but it is well worth it if you find one you want, as it will last you for many months, if not years, and often gets better with age. 

After you purchase your first cake or brick, the next step is to break it into a size suitable for one tea session. For this, we use specially designated pu-erh tea needles. Learn about how to properly loosen and break pu-erh tea. (Read more)

The popularity of Pu-erh spread like wildfire near its region of origin in Southern Yunnan. Soon enough, the famed Tea Horse Road (Chamadao) found itself as a most popular trade route between Yunnan locals and the Buddhists of Tibet. The Chinese nobles were in need of horses for the transportation of goods, and the monks were more than grateful for the fermented tea... (Read more)

There are two variations of Pu-erh tea: Sheng Pu-erh (the raw or green type) and Shou Pu-erh (the ripened or black type). 

Both Shu and Sheng Pu-erh teas are usually made of Camellia sinensis var. assamica. After fermentation and roasting, pu-erh tea is aged, often for many years, resulting in it’s dark color and bold, mellow flavor. (Read more)

There are 6 main types of tea: White, Green, Yellow, Oolong, Black (Red) and Pu-erh.

All six derive from the same plant. What accounts for their many differences are the length of time it takes for the tea leaves to become oxidized and the processing style, which can include such methods as roasting, steaming, pan-firing and aging. (Read more)