The Chinese tea history of Pu'er tea is fascinating. Pu'er tea is one of the oldest type of tea in China with a rich history of over 1700 years that can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). During it's height of popularity Pu'r tea was freely traded and even used as money for the bartering of goods. Premium Pu'er tea was offered as a tribute tea to the Emperor of China and to this day Pu'er tea remains a highly valuable commodity. Pu-erh tea is revered in China as a traditional medicinal tea with many health benefits.
Unlike other teas that should ideally be consumed shortly after production, pu-erh can be drunk immediately or aged for many years; pu-erh teas are often now classified by year and region of production much like wine vintages..
Some studies have shown that pu-erh may lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and increase metabolism. Pu-erh is occasionally touted as a 'diet tea,' but like all teas, I don't recommend consuming it as a magical weight loss tool, but rather as an enjoyable part of a healthy diet.
Pu-erh Tea's Health Benefits
In traditional Chinese herbalism, pu-erh tea is considered to open the meridians, 'warm the middle burner' (the spleen and stomach) and be beneficial to 'blood cleansing' and digestion. For these reasons, it is often consumed after heavy meals or drunk as a hangover cure / preventative.
Brewing Puerh Tea:
To make tea must control the water temperature, which greatly effect the aroma and tasty of the tea soup. Pu'er Tea requests the boiled water of the 95℃～100℃.
How much tea can depend on personal taste, generally, 3-5 grams tea properly with 150 milliliters water, and the proportion of tea to water between 1:50-1:30.
For the tea purer aroma, it is necessary to warm tea, i.e., pour out the boiled water immediately for the first time, which can have 1－2 times. The speed must be quick so that the taste of the tea soup can be prevented from influence. While really starting, about a minute the tea soup can be poured into the public cup, and then continue the second. With more times, the time can be prolonged slowly, from 1 minute to a few minutes gradually, which can keep the even density of tea soup.
The Storage of Puerh Tea:
The flavor and color of Puerh Tea changes when properly stored over a period of time; fresh raw tea brews into a bright, yellowish broth and possesses a strong, almost harsh flavor; aged raw tea brews an amber broth and possesses a mellow flavor. Fresh ripe tea brews into a bright red broth possessing a smooth mellow flavor; old ripe tea brews dark red with a thick mellow flavor. The flavor, quality and value of Puerh tea constantly increases over time with proper storage,and the longer the better.
