When it comes to Pu'er Tea, there are two types: raw and ripe. The difference lies in the fact that raw tea has not undergone artificial fermentation, while ripe tea has gone through a process of artificial pile fermentation. Ripe tea is more suitable for beginners due to its non-bitter and less astringent taste, which is easier to accept. Raw tea is more suited for experienced drinkers. In my opinion, the ultimate destination for all tea drinkers is drinking raw tea, as those who are more adept at drinking can better appreciate the flavors and textures within raw Pu'er. So how should one select Pu'er tea?

Look at the Origin
To pick out Pu'er tea, the first step is to examine its origin. Pu'er tea is precious and grows in mountainous areas far from artificial pollution. It is produced by tea trees planted by hand and requires specific climatic conditions to thrive, not just any environment will do. Currently, Pu'er tea is mainly produced in Yunnan Province, China.
Pu'er tea is made from large-leaf Assam tea that has been sun-dried. When you have a Pu'er tea sample in hand, first check the type of leaf. If it's authentic Pu'er from Yunnan, it must be a large-leaf variety. If you find that the tea is not a large-leaf type, it's likely an imitation Pu'er tea.
There are many origins of Pu'er tea in Yunnan Province, with 11 regions designated as protected geographical product areas for Pu'er tea. After confirming that the Pu'er tea originates from Yunnan, the best choices would be Lincang and Xishuangbanna. Their respective temperatures and rainfall are excellent conditions for growing Pu'er tea.

1. Lincang
This region is rich in heat, with no distinct seasons, and an average annual temperature of around 16 degrees Celsius. There are over 280 days without frost each year. Due to the warm climate throughout the year, the Pu'er tea grown here is evergreen all year round and of superior quality.
2. Xishuangbanna, located in the tropical humid zone south of the Tropic of Cancer, is influenced alternately by marine and continental climates. It receives abundant rainfall, with over 80% of the annual precipitation falling during the rainy season. This area is often described as having “constant summer without winter, and autumn with every rain,” providing an ideal growing environment for Pu'er tea.
Examine the Appearance
When purchasing Pu'er tea, we can directly see what the tea looks like. High-quality Pu'er tea has a good appearance. Carefully observing the shape of the tea can help distinguish between premium and inferior products. Observing the appearance of Pu'er tea primarily involves looking at color, integrity, and tenderness.

1. Color: Authentic Pu'er tea has a dark green color. Pu'er tea older than five years will appear black with a reddish hue, at which point it can be classified as aged tea. Under other equal conditions, the purer the color, the longer the storage time, the stronger the aroma, and the better the quality.
2. Integrity: Observe the integrity of the tea leaves. High-quality Pu'er tea allows you to see the difference between old and tender leaves, with old leaves being larger and tender leaves finer, clearly visible to the naked eye. Poor quality cakes may be made by compressing various substandard teas together, making it impossible to discern clear and distinct shapes.
In addition to the integrity of the tea itself, most Pu'er tea on the market is sold in compressed form. When selecting, look at the overall shape to ensure it is intact and neither too loose nor too tight. The strips should be tightly bound. Any broken pieces indicate inferior quality, and the edges should be neat without missing corners or edges.
3. Tenderness: Since the grade of Pu'er tea is determined by tenderness, this is an important factor when examining its appearance. The higher the tenderness, the higher the grade, and the better the quality.
The standards for the tenderness of Pu'er tea include three aspects:
(1) Number of buds: Pu'er tea with more buds has higher tenderness.
(2) Glossiness: Tea with a smooth and glossy surface has high tenderness.
(3) Tightness: Leaves that are tightly compacted and thick have high tenderness.

Examine the Liquor Color
The saying goes: “Oolong tea is appreciated for its fragrance, and Pu'er tea for its color.” Pu'er tea is judged by its color, and in addition to using the above methods to directly determine the quality of Pu'er tea, we can also brew a cup of Pu'er tea. The colors of different quality Pu'ers will certainly differ, and comparing the color of the brewed Pu'er tea will also yield useful information.
After brewing, Pu'er tea generally appears in two colors. In simple terms, one is red for ripe tea, and the other is yellow for raw tea. The reason for the distinct difference is that Pu'er tea is divided into raw and ripe. Raw tea does not undergo pile fermentation and instead ages naturally over time, while ripe tea is fermented artificially.
1. Color of Ripe Tea Liquor: Clear reddish-brown, similar in color to red wine. The original liver-colored Pu'er tea, during fermentation, experiences increased activity of oxidase, which promotes the oxidation of theaflavins into insoluble thearubigins, causing the tea liquor to become increasingly red.
Common inferior ripe Pu'er tea liquor colors:
(1) Black: Since thearubigins are the main source of the red color in the liquor, the red color is the most important indicator for identifying ripe Pu'er tea liquor. Once the liquor turns black, it is likely that the Pu'er tea has spoiled and should not be purchased.
(2) Muddy: As fermentation time increases, although a certain amount of thearubigins accumulates, the color should always be clear. If the liquor of the brewed Pu'er tea appears cloudy, with debris floating in it, the tea likely contains additional substances and is of substandard quality.
2. Color of Raw Tea Liquor: Bright yellow-green. Pu'er tea displaying this color is usually made from high-quality sun-dried Assam tea. During the processes of fixation, drying, rolling, and shaping, strict requirements are placed. Pu'er teas of this liquor color on the market are mostly made from pre-monsoon tea and early spring tea.

Common inferior raw Pu'er tea liquor colors:
(1) Light Yellow: After brewing with boiling water and comparing, you can feel that the color is lighter. This type of Pu'er tea is mainly caused by low-quality Pu'er with fewer nutrients, offering minimal benefits to the body but often sold at high prices. It is not recommended to purchase such tea.
(2) Yellow: The color looks distinctly yellow, without any green hues. This liquor color indicates that during the processing of the Pu'er tea, the wet heat from the sun-dried tea caused a yellowing effect, or it might have turned yellow due to mold. This is a dull color, and one should be cautious when purchasing.
Taste the Flavor
As the saying goes, “Pu'er tea should be smelled for its aroma and tasted for its flavor.” After brewing Pu'er tea, in addition to observing the liquor color, we can also directly taste its flavor and choose based on our own palate. High-quality Pu'er tea must possess four characteristics: sweetness, smoothness, thickness, and aged aroma.
Many people ask, where does this flavor come from? Is it added artificial flavoring? Please rest assured. The principle is that during the fermentation process, microorganisms proliferate in the pile, including Aspergillus niger, Penicillium, Saccharomyces, etc., which directly interact with the tea leaves to cause these effects.
Here, we introduce the specific flavors of sweetness, smoothness