Puer Tea's Transformation and Maturation: Transformation refers to the internal changes in Puer tea. Through our research on Puer tea, we now understand that its evolution is due to microbial activity, which cannot be perceived by our senses. For example, a certain aged Puer tea may change from yellow to brownish-red, a transformation from theaflavins to thearubigins, an internal change. Transformation requires time, meaning it needs a period of storage; the differences manifested after maturation are also a representation of this internal transformation. These two concepts should not be conflated but are interconnected and inseparable.

The Difference Between Maturation and Transformation in Puer Tea

Maturation describes the external appearance of Puer tea, which can also be understood as the observable characteristics of the tea. For instance, the color of the tea leaves, the hue of the Brew, the taste, the appearance of the infused leaves, and the aroma of the tea.

This external appearance can be observed over time using our sensory organs. Maturation more accurately describes the result of Puer tea's external appearance at a particular point in time.

Transformation, on the other hand, describes the internal changes in Puer tea, which might be just a temporary process. We know now that changes in Puer tea are due to microbial activity, which is invisible to our senses. For example, a certain aged Puer tea changing from yellow to brownish-red is due to the transformation from theaflavins to thearubigins, a microbial change.

Understanding the difference between maturation and transformation in Puer tea reveals how inaccurate it is to say things like, “How has the Puer tea transformed?” or “This tea has transformed well.” The transformation of Puer tea cannot be seen with the naked eye, as it involves microbial changes.

Replacing these statements with “How has the Puer tea matured?” or “This tea has matured well” would lead to conversations such as:

Q: “How has the Puer tea matured?”

A: It's quite good; look at the color of the leaves and the brew. Have a taste and see if you notice any differences.

“This tea has matured well. Look, both the color of the leaves and the brew have changed. Try it for yourself.”

In describing Puer tea, many terms are misused or applied inappropriately. This misuse of descriptive words complicates the understanding of Puer tea, especially when it comes to its aroma. Most people describe the aroma in terms of objects, with nearly 30 different types (such as honey, green, sweet, plum, aged, olive, floral-honey, glutinous rice, floral, fruity, tea, woody aged, complex, chestnut, bean, medicinal, fruity-honey, Orchid, jujube, woody, plum, camphor, honey-orchid, wheat, and fungal). If we were to describe the aroma based on tasting: (floating scent, scent in water, water containing scent, scent from water, scent as water). Or, based on processing: “original scent” and “processing scent.” While these descriptions can be correct, they make Puer tea unnecessarily complex and do not help in distinguishing quality. We could refer to foreign descriptions and use simple terms like “strong,” “weak,” or “none” to describe the aroma, since the scent of Puer tea can be divided into what is smelled through the nose and what is felt in the mouth. This approach makes it easier to understand a tea. For more detailed evaluations, additional relevant descriptions can be added.