It is said that Tea is used to welcome guests and substitute for alcohol, so it is always very important. Pu'er tea can be divided into raw and ripe varieties. How do you distinguish between ripe and raw tea? Let's take a look at the differences between raw and ripe Pu'er teas.

How to Tell if Pu'er Tea is Raw or Ripe

1. Color: Raw tea is usually yellow-green, and older raw tea appears dark green. Ripe tea is reddish-brown, or even black, mainly due to the degree of fermentation during the pile-fermentation process. Newly produced ripe tea may also have a slightly gray appearance. As natural fermentation progresses in raw tea, the edges of the leaves and the tea stems turn red and purple, then gradually become red. The yellow-green color gradually disappears and eventually turns chestnut or reddish-brown with an oily sheen.

2. Tea Infusion Color: The color of the tea infusion from raw tea is transparent yellow-green or golden yellow. The infusion from ripe tea is chestnut or reddish-brown, or even nearly black. If the fermentation is not fully complete, it may still appear somewhat pale yellow. As raw tea ages and ferments further, the yellow hue fades, while the red deepens, eventually becoming rich and clear with an oily surface.

3. Scent: Raw tea has a fresh, natural scent of tea leaves, while ripe tea has a unique aged aroma. Wet-storage-aged tea or improperly fermented ripe tea may have a musty odor.

4. Taste: The taste of raw tea is similar to Green Tea, with a slight bitterness. Ripe tea has a sweet, smooth, and soft flavor, with a mellow sweetness and noticeable aftertaste.

5. Nutrition and Benefits: Raw tea is rich in tea polyphenols, which help to resist radiation, prevent cancer, and have properties that are cooling. It provides benefits such as heat-clearing, heat-relief, detoxification, quenching thirst, aiding digestion, and relieving constipation. After fermentation, ripe tea generates many new nutrients under the action of enzymes. In addition to the general benefits of tea, it offers additional effects, including lowering lipids, aiding weight loss, reducing blood pressure, preventing arteriosclerosis, preventing and fighting cancer, protecting the stomach, promoting dental health, reducing inflammation, killing bacteria, and anti-aging.

Both raw and ripe teas belong to the category of Pu'er tea, but they can be distinguished. These five aspects can help you tell the difference between raw and ripe Pu'er tea.