2016 can be considered the inaugural year for Citrus Pu'er Tea, as it won the hearts of tea enthusiasts with its unique flavor and Health benefits, becoming a new darling in the world of tea. Citrus Pu'er tea can be processed by sun-drying or high-temperature baking, but sun-dried Citrus Pu'er tea offers even more advantages.

Sun-dried Citrus Pu'er undergoes simultaneous sun-drying and aging, resulting in a smoother taste.

The process of sun-drying is not as simple as placing the tea-filled citrus under the sun. It involves adjusting the tea's properties, shaping its flavor, and blending the tea with the citrus in a comprehensive manner. During sun-drying, the tea spends half of the time in storage, where suitable temperature and humidity conditions provide the perfect environment for the aging of the Citrus Pu'er.

High-temperature drying increases efficiency but sacrifices this aging process, leading to a noticeably inferior taste compared to sun-dried Citrus Pu'er.

Sun-dried without high temperatures, the taste is pure and not overheated.

Drinking sun-dried Citrus Pu'er will not cause heatiness. Fresh citrus filled with tea is naturally sun-dried outdoors over 20 days, allowing the citrus Peel to dehydrate evenly and transform into Citrus Pu'er. This natural and gentle process results in a tea with a correspondingly warm and smooth character.

High-temperature drying, on the other hand, imparts a slightly overheated quality, lacking warmth and smoothness.

The active components are fully preserved, making it more nourishing.

Sun-dried Citrus Pu'er preserves the activity of the volatile oils in the citrus peel, making the oil glands more transparent and ensuring that nutrients are steadily released during brewing.

Citrus Pu'er dried at high temperatures loses some of its nutritional value due to the degradation of certain active components.

Ultraviolet light sterilizes, providing an additional layer of food safety.

The importance of food safety cannot be overstated. Sun-dried Citrus Pu'er benefits from the sterilizing effects of ultraviolet light, adding an extra layer of assurance for health and safety.

Citrus Pu'er dried at high temperatures lacks this additional layer of protection.

The action of sunlight makes vitamins easier for the body to absorb.

Both the citrus peel and Pu'er tea contain a variety of vitamins, and sunlight helps make them more easily absorbed by the body.

High-temperature drying only damages vitamins and does not promote their absorption.

How to distinguish between sun-dried Citrus Pu'er and high-temperature dried Citrus Pu'er?

Observe the color

Sun-dried Citrus Pu'er, whether small green citrus, semi-ripe citrus, or ripe citrus, has noticeable sunspots. Ripe citrus have a bright orange-yellow luster, and all sun-dried Citrus Pu'er have a glossy appearance;

High-temperature dried Citrus Pu'er has a dull, oily-less appearance. Green citrus appear dark green-brown, and red citrus are deep brown.

Examine transparency

Take one Citrus Pu'er, remove the Pu'er tea, and shine a strong light through the citrus peel. If all the oil glands are crystal clear, it is sun-dried Citrus Pu'er; if some oil glands are not translucent, it is high-temperature dried Citrus Pu'er.

Taste

Take one sun-dried and one high-temperature dried Citrus Pu'er, and Brew them under the same conditions: If the taste is smooth, sweet, mellow, fragrant, thick, and silky, it is sun-dried Citrus Pu'er; if the taste is thin, dry, and short-lived, with a high aroma that doesn't last long and flavors that quickly fade, it is high-temperature dried Citrus Pu'er.