What is Pu-erh Tea?

Pu-erh tea is a type of compressed or loose tea processed through artificial post-fermentation, using sun-dried green tea leaves from the large-leaf tea varieties of Yunnan as raw material.

What is Raw Tea (Sheng Cha)?

Sun-dried (sun-withered) large-leaf tea leaves from Yunnan that are directly compressed into cakes, tuo cha, or bricks are called raw cakes, raw tuo, or raw bricks. Uncompressed leaves are called mao cha (rough tea).

What is Ripe Tea (Shou Cha)?

Large-leaf tea leaves from Yunnan that undergo sun-withering, followed by pile-fermentation (wo dui), and are then pressed into shapes are called ripe cakes, ripe tuo, or ripe bricks.

How to Distinguish Between Raw and Ripe Pu-erh?

There are many ways to distinguish them. Generally, in terms of appearance, raw Pu-erh under 10 years old is dark green, while ripe Pu-erh is dark brown. Secondly, by aroma: raw Pu-erh has a light, fresh fragrance, whereas ripe Pu-erh has a deep, aged aroma. Finally, by liquor color: raw Pu-erh liquor is orange-yellow, while ripe Pu-erh is reddish-brown or dark chestnut.

What Category of Tea Does Pu-erh Belong To?

Pu-erh tea belongs to the dark tea category.

What are Spring Tea, Summer Tea, and Grain Flower Tea? How to Distinguish Them?

Spring tea is harvested from February to April. Tea harvested within 15 days after Qingming Festival is considered the finest, often consisting of one bud and one leaf, with slender, white buds. Summer tea, harvested from May to July, is called "rainwater tea." If processed well, its quality can approximate spring tea. Autumn tea, harvested from August to October, is called "grain flower tea."

What is the Production Process and Method of Tea?

Pu-erh tea has two main processing methods, corresponding to raw and ripe tea: 1) Raw Tea: Traditional process: Fixation (kill-green) → Rolling → Sun-drying. 2) Ripe Tea: Fixation → Rolling → Drying → Pile-fermentation (wo dui) → Drying.

What is Sun-drying and Oven-drying? What's the Difference?

Sun-dried green mao cha refers to fresh tea leaves that are pan-fixed, rolled, spread on bamboo mats, and naturally dried under the sun. This type can be stored for long periods. Oven-dried tea refers to fresh leaves dehydrated using an oven/dryer, resulting in a high-aroma tea. It has a shelf life and cannot be stored long-term.

How is Pu-erh Graded? What's the Difference Between Grades?

Pu-erh is graded from 1 to 10. Higher grades contain more buds, lower grades contain more stems. Does a higher grade mean better quality? Not necessarily. A higher grade only indicates tender tea material, not directly correlating with overall quality.

What is Dry Storage and Wet Storage Pu-erh? What's the Difference?

Dry storage Pu-erh is tea stored in a warehouse with relative humidity below 80%, allowing slow natural aging to develop "aged aroma" qualities. Wet storage Pu-erh is tea placed in a humid warehouse (RH >80%) to accelerate aging, but this process can lead to mold. Dry storage allows tea to "improve with age." Some unscrupulous sellers pass off wet-stored tea as aged dry-stored tea.

What Should You Pay Attention to When Buying Pu-erh?

Four key principles: 1) Purity: Smell it; the aroma should be clean, free of off-odors. 2) Authenticity: Observe the color; tea liquor should be date-red, not black as lacquer. 3) Proper Storage: It should be dry-stored, not in damp conditions. 4) Qi (Energy): Taste the liquor; the flavor should be mellow, not muddled. Six Don'ts: Don't rely solely on claimed age, don't judge by packaging alone, don't use color depth as the only criterion, don't be fooled by added flavors, don't overemphasize tree age.

How to Store Pu-erh Tea?

For compressed tea, keep the original packaging intact. For loose tea, it's best stored in a purple clay jar. The environment should be clean, odor-free, with stable temperature and humidity, and protected from light. Simply put: "dry, ventilated, and odor-free."

What is "Crab Feet" (Xie Jiao)?

Crab Feet is a parasite that grows on older arbor tea trees. It's green and shaped like a crab's pincers. It has a strong plum-like aroma, contains various organic compounds, is highly nutritious, and can be used medicinally, notably for treating stomach issues and diabetes.

What are the Main Components of Pu-erh Tea?

Pu-erh tea mainly contains amino acids, alkaloids, tea polyphenols, tannins, caffeine, pigments, monosaccharides, proteins, organic acids, lipids, vitamins, etc.

What are the Effects and Functions of Pu-erh Tea?

Pu-erh tea has many functions: lowering lipids and aiding weight loss, beautifying skin, sobering up from alcohol, anti-radiation and anti-aging, protecting teeth and eyesight, nourishing and protecting the stomach (ripe tea), etc.

What is the "Mark Number" (Mai Hao) of Pu-erh?

Example: 7531. Here, '75' represents the 1975 recipe (note: not necessarily the production year). '3' represents the average grade of the tea material (higher number indicates finer/budgier material). '1' represents the factory code (e.g., Kunming Tea Factory=1, Menghai=2, Xiaguan=3, Pu'er=4). Factory codes have since expanded.

How to Brew Pu-erh Tea?

Brewing Pu-erh is particular. Generally, a purple clay teapot is superior as it enhances the tea. A gaiwan is better for appreciating Pu-erh's qualities. For office brewing, a travel mug with a filter can be used.

Glossary of Pu-erh Terms

Hairy (Xian Hao): Abundant in fine hairs (tip).

Even and Clean (Yun Jing): Uniform, free of stems and other impurities.

Compact and Solid (Jin Shi): Moderately tight, substantial body.

Plump and Sturdy (Fei Zhuang): Plump buds and leaves, heavy body.

Clear (Qing Che): Clean, transparent, bright, no sediment.

Bright and Vivid (Xian Yan): Vividly colorful, clear and bright.

Deep (Shen): Dark liquor color.

Light (Qian): Pale, watery liquor color.

Bright (Ming Liang): Clear and transparent liquor.

Turbid (Hun Zhuo): Liquor has many suspended particles, poor transparency.

Sediment (Chen Dian Wu): Material settled at the bottom of the cup.

High Aroma (Gao Xiang): Strong and lasting fragrance.

Pure and Correct (Chun Zheng): Fragrance is not too high or low, clean and normal.

Neutral (Ping Zheng): Fragrance is relatively low but without off-odors.

Dull and Muddy (Dun Zhuo): Stale and not refreshing.

Grassy/Green Taste (Qing Wei): Smell like grass or green leaves. Caused by insufficient fixation or fermentation.

High Fire (Gao Huo): Slightly roasted, toasty, or caramelized smell.

Aged Smell (Chen Qi): The smell of aged tea.

Sweet Aftertaste (Hui Gan): Pleasant lingering sweetness after swallowing.

Strong and Thick (Nong Hou): Full-bodied, strong liquor, high astringency/stimulus.

Mellow and Thick (Chun Hou): Refreshing, sweet, full-bodied, with some stimulus.

Rich and Mellow (Nong Chun): Rich and refreshing, with a sweet aftertaste. Stimulus weaker than "Strong and Thick" but stronger than "Mellow and Thick".

Mellow and Correct (Chun Zheng): Refreshing and normal, slightly sweet.

Mellow and Harmonious (Chun He): Mellow and smooth, sweet. Stimulus weaker than "Mellow and Correct" but stronger than "Smooth".

Smooth (Ping He): Normal tea taste, low stimulus.

Thin and Weak (Dan Bo): Slight tea taste initially, then becomes bland.

Astringent (Se): Mouth-puckering, rough feeling on the tongue.

Green and Astringent (Qing Se): Astringent with a raw green taste.

Bitter (Ku): Bitter upon entry, even more bitter in the aftertaste.

Steamed Taste (Shu Wei): Liquor taste is not refreshing, has a steamed or stuffy taste.

Plump and Thick (Fei Hou): Fat buds, thick leaves, veins not prominent.

Open (Kai Zhan): Leaves are spread open, soft texture.

Fresh and Bright (Xian Liang): Fresh and bright color.

Dark and Mixed (An Za): Leaf color is dull, uneven in maturity.

Scorched Marks (Jiao Ban): Localized black or yellow burn marks on leaf edges or surfaces.

Powerful (Ba Qi): Refers to strong "tea energy" (qi); bitterness and astringency are heavy but sweet aftertaste and saliva production are also quick.

Inner Ticket/Nei Fei: The small paper pressed inside the front of a tea cake, usually printed with the manufacturer's name and logo.

Inner Leaf/Nei Piao: The larger paper wrapped inside the cotton paper, usually printed with tea description and manufacturer info.

Bamboo Leaf Mark/Zhi Fei: The paper wrapped around a "tong" (usually 7 cakes) or a "jian" (12 tongs), printed with mark number, weight, manufacturer, production date.

Arbor-type Tea Tree (Qiao Mu): Has a distinct main trunk, branches high, usually over 3-5 meters tall.

Shrub-type Tea Tree (Guan Mu): No distinct main trunk, dense branching near the base, short canopy, usually 1.5-3 meters.

Semi-arbor Tea Tree (Ban Qiao Mu): Intermediate in height and branching between arbor and shrub types.

Pre-Qingming Tea (Ming Qian Cha): Spring tea harvested before Qingming Festival.

Pre-Rain Tea (Yu Qian Cha): Spring tea harvested before Grain Rain.

Mountain/Region (Shan Tou): Refers to the specific mountain or region where the tea leaves are produced (e.g., Ban Zhang, Yi Wu, Jing Mai).

Tea Clumps/"Tea Heads" (Cha Tou): Clumps formed during pile-fermentation due to high pectin content. Not all tea heads taste good. They are very durable for brewing (30+ infusions). Best brewed by boiling to slowly release the pectin.

Surface Layer/"Facing" (Sa Mian): A layer of higher-grade tea material spread on the surface of cakes, bricks, or tuo to improve appearance. Most shaped Pu-erh has this. The average grade is a mix of surface and inner material.

Purple Bud Tea (Zi Ya Cha): Tea with purple buds/leaves due to high anthocyanin content from prolonged UV exposure.

Single Batch Material (Yi Kou Liao): Tea cake made from uniform material throughout (surface and interior). Note: This doesn't necessarily mean "single-origin" pure material.

Tea Paste/Extract (Cha Gao): Historically tribute for emperors. The ancient method involves prolonged boiling of tea, then adding substances to solidify it into a paste. To drink, scrape a small amount and dissolve in hot water.