Pu-erh
Pu-erh (pronounced as poo-air) tea is made from a \'large leaf\' variety of the tea plant Camellia sinensis and named after Pu’er county near Simao, Yunnan, China.Pu-erh can be purchased and drank as either green, dark or fermented. The green Pu-erh is the new leaves in the current year and is strongly bitter. As it ages, it ferments and becomes more and more smooth. Unlike any other teas that should be consumed as fresh as possible, Pu-erh is post-fermented tea--it tastes better as it ages. Therefore, Pu-erh is often classified by year and region of the production, like wine vintages.
It is difficult to find really good Pu-erh teas on the market. That is why tea connoisseurs are willing to pay high prices for real good ones. The young or less aged Pu-erh are relatively inexpensive; so, many people like to purchase these pu-erh teas and store them for the future. To store pu-erh correctly, the environment is important. Here are some tips to store them:
- Keep humidity at 70 to 80%
- Adequate ventilation
- No Odor
- Wrap well
- Room temperature
- No direct sunlight
The benefits of drinking Pu-erh include helping in digestion and reducing blood cholesterol and lipid levels. Pu-erh tea is also widely sold as a weight loss tea or a main ingredient in such products.
Pu-erh is generally to be served GongFu style in Yixing Teapot or Gai Wan. Optimum temperature is generally regarded to be around 95 degrees Celsius for lower quality teas and 85-89 degree Celsius for higher quality teas. Steeping time lasts from 10-30 seconds in the first few infusions, up to 2-10 minutes in the last infusions. In this Gongfu style steeping, pu-erh can be infused for 6 to 7 times. In the prolonged western steeping style, you can steep for 2 to 3 minutes for a pot of the tea.
Disclaimer: The benefits of tea are based on the thousands of years of human practices. However, please consult your doctors for any scientific approves. Teas are not the substitues of your medicinces.