Pu'er
Tea from Yunnan made from large-leaf Camellia sinensis var. assamica, sun-dried and often pressed into cakes, sold raw (sheng) or ripened (shou).
Definition
Pu'er (also pu-erh) is named after Pu'er city in southern Yunnan, a historic trading town for tea. Chinese national standards restrict the name to tea from Yunnan made from sun-dried large-leaf leaf of the Yunnan da ye type, a form of Camellia sinensis var. assamica. The base material, called maocha, is lightly pan-fired, rolled and dried in the sun. From maocha come two products. Sheng (raw) pu'er is pressed or sold loose without further treatment and changes slowly over years of storage. Shou (ripe) pu'er goes through wo dui, an accelerated pile fermentation developed in the early 1970s that gives a dark, earthy tea in about two months. Both are commonly pressed into 357 g bing cha cakes, tuocha nests, bricks and mushroom shapes. Major growing areas are Xishuangbanna (Menghai, Yiwu, Lao Banzhang, Nannuo), Lincang (Bingdao, Mengku) and Pu'er prefecture. Leaf from old trees and named single villages commands high prices, which has also led to widespread mislabeling.
In Depth
Brew at 95-100°C (203-212°F). Gongfu style, use 5-8 g per 100 ml, rinse once, then infuse for 5-20 seconds and extend gradually. A good pu'er gives 8-15 infusions. Pry cakes apart along the leaf layers with a pu'er knife or pick to avoid breaking leaves.
Wrappers carry the factory, year and recipe number. Menghai Tea Factory (Dayi) codes such as 7542 (sheng) and 7572 (shou) are a four-digit system: the first two digits are the year the recipe began (75 = 1975), the third is the leaf grade, and the last identifies the factory (2 = Menghai). A pressing year printed on the cake is not proof of age; old cakes are commonly faked.
Store pu'er at room temperature, away from light and odors, with stable humidity around 60-70%. Do not refrigerate it.
See Also
- Yunnan Tea Mountains
- Pu'er Storage
- Tea Horse Road