"Traditional Pu-erh" refers to tea leaves made from sun-dried large-leaf tea leaves of Yunnan, which undergo slow natural post-fermentation or are directly sieved and steamed into various products. These were traded and sold mainly in the "Pu-erh Prefecture" area. In ancient times, they were mostly shaped into lumps, cakes, or bricks, with a small amount available as loose tea.

Among these, the standout examples are the "Eight-Tribute Teas" offered to the Qing court, as recorded by Ruan Fu in "Notes on Pu-erh Tea": five-catty lump tea, three-catty lump tea, one-catty lump tea, four-tael lump tea, 1.5-tael lump tea, bud tea in bottles, tip tea in bottles, and tea paste in boxes. The "Daughter Tea" mentioned in Cao Xueqin's "Dream of the Red Chamber" belongs to the bud tea category.

In the past, due to inconvenient transportation, traditionally defined "Pu-erh tea" remained in Yunnan for a long time, allowing the leaves to undergo natural "post-ripening" changes that developed a unique "aged aroma" quality. It gained popularity and recognition among tea drinkers (especially in Hong Kong and Taiwan) and evolved into today's "Raw Pu-erh Tea".

"Modern Pu-erh" refers to the "Pu-erh tea" developed after 1973 by the Kunming Tea Factory of Yunnan Tea Import and Export Company, combining traditional Pu-erh characteristics – namely, "Ripe Pu-erh Tea". Its main technical process involves: "wet-pile fermentation of moist tea leaves, which are then processed into loose tea and compressed tea."

Its quality characteristics are "tea strips resembling liver color, reddish-brown bright liquor, pronounced aged aroma, sweet and smooth taste, and strong health benefits". Representative loose tea products include: Imperial Pu-erh, Special Grade Pu-erh; compressed teas include Pu-erh cakes and Pu-erh bricks.

Whether modern or traditional Pu-erh, any tea that is tasteful, high-quality, and beneficial to health is worth trying.

Related links: Golden Flower Fu Brick Tea, Golden Pearl Pu-erh Tea