In recent years, Pu-erh tea has seen a dramatic surge in value and popularity as a collector's item, treasured like a precious gem. At an auction held in Guangdong, a mere 3-gram piece of dark purple Pu-erh tea paste sold for a staggering 12,000 yuan, stunning the tea world.
This particular tea paste was once part of a collection owned by Mr. Lu Xun. It was preserved in an exquisitely carved wooden box adorned with dragon patterns, lined inside with golden silk fabric also embroidered with dragons. The box contained 39 pieces of tea paste, totaling approximately 143 grams. Each piece was identical in规格 and shape, cast from the same mold.
How is tea paste produced, and what is its practical value?
According to reports, the production of Pu-erh tea paste in China began during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Historical records such as "Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms" mention the production of tribute tea paste during the Southern Tang period (around 937 AD). Yunnan chieftains used large-leaf tea from Yunnan's arbor trees as raw material, employing a large-pot boiling method for small-scale production, forming the雏形 of Pu-erh tea paste.
The earliest Pu-erh tea paste spread to Tibet via the Ancient Tea Horse Road, where it was quickly embraced by the Tibetan upper class, becoming a privileged item享受 by the nobility (including high-ranking monks and religious leaders above the Living Buddha level), while its circulation among the common people was prohibited. Later, the Qing dynasty imperial court took notice of this phenomenon and came into contact with Pu-erh tea paste. In 1729 (the seventh year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign), Yunnan Pu-erh tea bricks and tea paste began to be offered as tribute to the court. By the Qianlong era, the imperial tea kitchen of the Qing palace started producing Pu-erh tea paste. The imperial tea kitchen made significant improvements to the production工艺, transforming Pu-erh tea paste from a tribute item into an imperial product.
The Pu-erh tea paste produced by the imperial court became a rare treasure among teas and never circulated in society. The only way to obtain it was through the emperor's annual bestowal of a portion to meritorious officials. Even those who received it would rarely use it readily, instead storing it as高级 medicine, only brewing it for consumption when feeling unwell.
Historical records indicate that the processing工艺 of Pu-erh tea paste in the imperial tea kitchen was extremely complex. The raw materials were specified large-leaf tea from the Six Famous Tea Mountains of Yunnan, undergoing 186工序 over a周期 of 72 days. The finished product was not only characterized by a smooth,厚重口感 that melted in the mouth, and a rich, gem-like red or rose-red infusion color when brewed, but most importantly, its unique medicinal成分. Qing dynasty pharmacologist Zhao Xuemin, in his book "Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica," once评价: "Pu-erh tea paste is black as lacquer, supreme for sobering up from alcohol; the green variety is even better. It aids digestion, resolves phlegm, clears the stomach, promotes salivation, and its efficacy is particularly great," and "Pu-erh tea paste can treat various illnesses. For abdominal distension or catching a chill, use it with ginger汤 to induce sweating for recovery. For mouth sores,喉颡 inflammation, or heat-induced pain, hold five分 of tea paste in the mouth overnight for healing."
According to research by numerous domestic and international scientific institutions, the health保健 functions of Pu-erh tea paste are mainly reflected in: lowering blood lipids, blood pressure, and blood sugar; preventing atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases; improving microcirculation and anti-aging; having a notable sobering effect; possessing anti-fatigue properties; and alleviating亚健康 states. Zhou Haiying, the collector of Lu Xun's tea paste, recalled that after festive meals, whenever he felt gastrointestinal discomfort, his mother Xu Guangping would take out a small piece of tea paste, brew it for him to drink, and the discomfort would disappear.
In 1792 (the 57th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign), Pu-erh tea paste was首次 presented as a gift to a visiting British delegation. Unaware of what it was, the British sealed and stored it. It is said that this batch of tea paste is still housed in the British Museum.
After the 1911 Revolution, the production of imperial Pu-erh tea膏 ceased, and its制作方法 was lost. Although some tea paste products later appeared among the people, they基本上 used the Yunnan chieftains' large-pot boiling method, which was very different from the imperial tea kitchen's production.
With market demand in recent years, the tea industry has adopted advanced biotechnology methods to restore the Qing imperial court's production工艺 of Pu-erh tea paste, developing a series of Pu-erh tea paste products. These have become treasured teas suitable for both health保健 and collection, beneficial for both use and appreciation.