Both Shu and Sheng Pu-erh teas are usually made of sun-dried leaves of Camellia sinensis var. assamica – "shai qing mao cha".
After roasting and fermentation, Pu-erh tea is aged, often for many years, resulting in its dark color and bold, mellow flavor.
Like Champagne or other regionally specific foods and beverages, Pu-erh is a geographically indicated product.
This tea can only be grown, produced and fermented in southern Yunnan Province using sun-dried green tea from specific the Da Ye Zhong tea variety.
Ripe vs Raw Pu-erh Tea (Shou vs Sheng Pu-erh):
Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh
Raw (Sheng) Pu-erh is a Pu-erh made from tea leaves that are processed similar to green tea: picked, withered, roasted to stop the oxidation (this step is called Sha Qing (杀青) – "Kill Green". Then the tea leaves are sun-dried, steamed and compressed, usually into round disks called cakes. After that, the cakes are left to age until the tea’s taste is properly transformed.
Because Raw Pu-erh doesn’t go through a fermentation process, it retains a fresh scent as well as a little bit of astringency, with a sweet aftertaste.
Ripe (Shou) Pu-erh
At first, Ripe (Shou) Pu-erh goes through the exact same steps as the Sheng Pu-erh. However, at the stage of producing the cakes it undergoes a fermentation procedure, called ‘wet piling’ (渥堆 – Wo Dui):
- The leaves get piled up to a certain height that is usually around 70 cm, but different tea masters have their own preferences.
- The piled tea gets sprinkled with water and, sometimes, covered with a cloth to create a humid environment and accelerate the fermentation.
- A complex of fungi and bacteria from the Aspergillus family develops in the tea pile under the influence of heat and humidity, further enhancing the fermentation process.
- After the tea ferments to a certain degree, it gets unpiled, ventilated and pressed into cakes, bricks or small bowls called tuocha.
Depending on the degree of fermentation, Pu-erh turns from green or yellow to a reddish-brown color. You can tell the degree of wet piling by the color of the liquid – the darker the liquid gets, the more advanced the fermentation, and vice versa.
The process of piling transforms the tea’s taste to a very thick one with an earthy aroma.
Aging is at the core of Pu-erh tea taste transformation. A Raw Pu-erh can become smoother and less astringent with age, while ripe Pu-erh typically has a more consistent flavor profile due to its fermentation process. However, a longer aging process doesn't necessarily mean a better taste. There are some longer-aged Pu-erhs with an exceptional taste, but we believe that this should not be your area of focus when buying a cake of fermented goodness.
Pu-erh Tea Benefits
This tea's benefits are recognized by many societies. Throughout Southeast Asia it is an integral part of the food culture and is known for its slimming properties, as well as its aid in digestion. Furthermore, Pu-erh has a nice dose of caffeine which keeps you alert but not jittery like in the case of coffee. This tea was one of the main exports on the Tea Horse Road, when Tibetan monks consumed the fermented drink during long meditation hours.
To learn more about Sheng and Shou Pu-erh, check out our Pu-erh tag!
How to brew Pu-erh Tea