Tea Aroma Workshop: Boil the ups and downs of life, burn the vanity of the world, the sound of zither strings carries ancient charm, green smoke rises to clear the mind, the fragrance of orchids begins in spring and autumn, and a thousand years are contained in a single pot of tea.

In the world of Pu'er tea collecting, there is an old saying: 'Taste aged tea, drink ripe tea, store raw tea.' Because aged tea is very expensive, the threshold for collecting is also higher.

However, not all raw teas can be stored and expected to appreciate in value. The key to storing raw tea is to carefully select high-quality tea materials, so that it can 'improve with age' and have greater potential for appreciation.

What kind of tea material is good? First, check whether it has been well preserved and whether it has been affected by moisture. Second, consider the age—the older, the better, as it becomes more fragrant over time. Third, look at the liquor color; a liquor color close to red wine, both red and clear, is considered excellent.

At the same time, Pu'er tea can be divided into wild Pu'er tea, semi-wild Pu'er tea, and plantation Pu'er tea, depending on the type of tea tree. Wild tea has not been domesticated, no fertilizer or pesticide is applied, and it grows naturally. Currently, wild tea is very rare. Semi-wild tea is planted by humans but not managed. Plantation tea is completely cultivated and managed by humans.

Pu'er tea can also be divided into arbor Pu'er tea and terrace Pu'er tea. Arbor tea trees are not restricted in height, so their numbers are relatively small. Terrace tea trees are constantly pruned to limit their growth, forcing them to continuously sprout, and the sprouts are picked as soon as they appear to make tea, so their quantity is larger.

For collection purposes, it is best to choose wild tea, semi-wild tea, or arbor tea. Scarcity increases value, giving these teas greater potential for appreciation.

Additionally, among the various shapes of Pu'er tea, tea cakes are the most commonly collected. This is because the key to Pu'er tea storage lies in its slow oxidation upon contact with air, which gradually changes its flavor. During oxidation, tea cakes change most evenly (since they are thinner and their round shape allows for more uniform oxidation).

The above introduces which Pu'er tea is best from a collection perspective, and it is hoped that this information will be helpful to everyone.