Pu-erh Tea
Pu-erh tea is a variety of tea (Camellia sinensis) that's grown, processed, and aged the Yunnan Province of China. Raised at high elevations, the tea is processed using fermentation, and takes advantage of the unique microbial soup present in the forested mountains of Yunnan to become a living tea.
Pu-erh comes in two varieties - Sheng and Shou Pu-erh.
Sheng, or "raw", Pu-erh is aged from it's original form after only very minimal processing. Upon maturing, which often takes ten to twenty years, a good Sheng would typically taste complex, but smooth and subtle. Some of the best-tended aged Sheng teas fetch more than their weight in gold!
Shou, or "ripe", Pu-erh is tea that has been aged more quickly. This allows these teas to be quite palatable within a couple of years. This process also makes the tea much thicker, darker, and "earthier" in flavor.
Both sorts may be re-steeped, sometimes dozens of times, and change flavor and color dramatically between steepings.
Pu-erh comes in two varieties - Sheng and Shou Pu-erh.
Sheng, or "raw", Pu-erh is aged from it's original form after only very minimal processing. Upon maturing, which often takes ten to twenty years, a good Sheng would typically taste complex, but smooth and subtle. Some of the best-tended aged Sheng teas fetch more than their weight in gold!
Shou, or "ripe", Pu-erh is tea that has been aged more quickly. This allows these teas to be quite palatable within a couple of years. This process also makes the tea much thicker, darker, and "earthier" in flavor.
Both sorts may be re-steeped, sometimes dozens of times, and change flavor and color dramatically between steepings.
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