Deep in the heart of southwestern China the ancient tea mountains and forest regions adjacent to the Lancang ( Mekong ) River ( in and around the tropical Xishuangbanna region of southern Yunnan province ) are home to Pu-erh tea. Pu-erh is China’s most high profile fermented tea and one of the most interesting and unusual teas in China’s treasure box of astonishing teas. Pu-erh is highly regarded in the East and is now beginning to pique the interest of tea enthusiasts in the West.

Pu-erh is most commonly made into a compressed disc of tea known as a beeng cha or a bird’s nest-shaped piece called a tuo-cha. Other shapes are made as well, as are loose-leaf versions of Pu-erh.

This style of tea making began during the Tang dynasty ( 618-907) when tea was traded for horses with people who lived along China’s borders. Tea trading became so important that the Tea Horse Route was established from southern Yunnan up over the mountains into Tibet and beyond. Caravans of men and horses endured perilous journeys that took as long as six months in each direction to reach their destination over dangerous and isolated mountain routes.

Happily, this style of tea making continues today.  The most sought after versions of Pu-erh are made from the leaf and buds of ancient tea trees, or those that contain a high percentage of this material. Ancient tea trees are those that are more than 100 years of age and 20-30 feet tall. They grow organically in a natural forest setting.

The manufacturing process used to make Pu-erh tea is very different than that of other Chinese teas. Beeng cha are made in two versions: sheng or raw Pu-erh (natural post-fermentation) and shou or ripe Pu-erh (artificial, accelerated fermentation). Sheng Pu-erh is the most prized; collectors and tea enthusiasts purchase young cakes to set aside to age and transform over the years into something magnificent and rich in flavor, much as wine collectors cellar bottles of fine wine for later enjoyment. Shou Pu-erh is made for immediate drinking and is the most common style of Pu-erh enjoyed by households across China.

Sheng Pu-erh that is aged can be very expensive, which is why savvy Pu-erh enthusiasts purchase young beeng cha and age them carefully themselves in a temperature controlled environment. Aged beeng cha that have been put aside in storage for thirty years (or more!) enjoy an active buyers’ market among tea connoisseurs in China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Desirable old cakes sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars each.

 

As in the past, the leaf for making the best Pu-erh tea cakes is collected from the forests of the twenty-six tea mountains and tea growing areas. Here, botanically unique broad leaf arbor trees known as Yunnan Dayeh ( a variant of Camellia Sinensis var. assamica ) produce large-sized buds and leaves which contribute to the unique flavor and nature of Pu-erh tea. Tea trees and bushes of several different ages determine the complexion of these tea growing regions: 1.  Ancient tea trees ( qiao mu ) – those over 100 years old   2. Old tea trees ( da shu cha ) – those less than 100 years old 3. Small tea trees ( xiao qiao mu ) – trees that are 50-100 years old 4. Cultivated tea bushes ( tai di cha ) - newly cultivated tea bushes that are less than 50 years old Each year, buds emerge and new leaves unfold in the early days of spring (pre-Qing Ming - before May 5th ) and growth continues at least until the end of summer. As with other classes of Chinese tea, the best teas are those made from fresh, tender first-of-the season leaves and buds. All Pu-erh is made from mao cha, which is the term for the fresh leaf material that is processed to a half-finished but stable state. Mao cha is made by de-enzyming fresh tea leaf material by a ‘kill-green’ step in a wood-fired tea firing pan that removes excess leaf moisture. The leaf material is then rolled and twisted by hand to stimulate enzyme action within the leaf. Finally, the leaf is sun or tumble dried into a semi-finished state which is called mao cha. Mao cha then undergoes either the sheng or shou manufacturing process that turns the mao cha into Pu-erh.

Sheng Pu-erh is the traditional Pu-erh. It is made by a natural process that preserves the presence of live bacteria on the tea leaf and throughout the beeng cha. It is this bacteria that is responsible for carrying out, over a period of months and years, the necessary post-production fermentation in sheng Pu-erh. When sheng Pu-erh is kept in good storage condition, the bacteria will thrive and bring beneficial change to the flavor, aroma and color of the Pu-erh. As it ages, the tea will develop into something very rich and substantive in flavor.

The majority of sheng Pu-erh is compressed into beeng chas or tuo chas. Sheng Pu-erh can be drunk either young or aged. When young, the tea is sweet, woodsy, and clean tasting. When aged, sheng Pu-erh is rich, beefy, earthy and substantial.
 

 

Our sheng Pu-erh beeng chas are made from a blend of raw leaf material that features a percentage of old leaf, not a predominance of it, and show a tasty balance of leaf to buds. Pu-erh enthusiasts look for cakes that are carefully blended from good quality leaf that will transform and age into splendid tea with a well-honed balance of astringency, woodsy flavor and sweetness. All the components of its taste should be harmonious and smooth. Aged sheng Pu-erh is the favorite of Asian tea enthusiasts: the better quality the tea ( or the blend of mao cha ) and the older the tea is, the more desirable and expensive the beeng cha will be. Aging a Pu-erh allows the magic of natural fermentation to work its magic on the flavor of the tea. Good, well- made Sheng Pu-erh is said to have the following distinct characteristics: • High-mountain arbor tea tree leaves • A profusion of spring buds and large leaf • The mao cha is sun-dried • Their taste is sweet and distinctive • Refinement of age from the effects of post-fermentation on the leaf • Strong cha-qi (positive energy from a good environment and careful manufacture)

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Shou Pu-erh is a modern invention, dating from the 1970's. This process of Pu-erh manufacture was created in response to requests from tea drinkers for Pu-erh that was ready to drink when purchased and that offered a bold, hearty taste. Shou Pu-erh meets that demand. This faster development of flavor is accomplished by exposing the mao cha to an accelerated process of artificial fermentation in the tea factory.

Shou Pu-erh will, under good storage conditions, keep well, mellow and deepen in flavor, although it will not age and undergo the natural bacterial changes that sheng Pu-erh does. It is made primarily for immediate consumption, and is sold in beeng chas, tuo-chas and several grades of loose leaf tea.
 

 

Shou Pu-erh is perfect for tea enthusiasts who enjoy the ritual of opening and breaking up a beeng cha but want tea that is drinkable now or that will keep well for six or so years.

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Often sold in China but uncommon in the West, loose-leaf Pu-erh is an easy way to steep a delicious cup of Pu-erh. Most loose-leaf Pu-erh is shou Pu-erh which provides quick, no-fuss steeping. Selections such as ours that have aged for a few years are the perfect choice for a forthright, deep, earthy flavor any time of day at home or at work. Loose-leaf shou Pu-erh cannot be aged as long as compressed shou Pu-erh, but it will age and keep well for several years.

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