Stay real - drink real tea.
Puer Tea - Strong, Rustic & Enegizing
Processing
Puer teas are divided into raw and ripe teas.
Processing (raw): Picking, withering, "Kill-Green" (frying), twisting, sun-drying
Processing (ripe): Picking, withering, "Kill-Green" (frying), twisting, fermentation, drying
General
Puer tea is quite different from the other tea categories. It is grown in South-China's Yunnan province in the border region with Burma, Thailand and Laos. In difference to most other Chinese teas, the leafs used to produce Puer tea come from the bigger Assamica varietal, which has a more rustic, minerally and astringent flavor than the other varietals used for Chinese tea. Different to green tea, Puer tea gets better when stored and matured over a long period of time (ideally several years, there is NO upper limit!). Raw Puer is quite similar to green tea in its properties. Also the processing doesn't vary significantly. Young Raw Puer is very strong, minerally and astringent, while matured Raw Puer and Ripe Puer are earthy and mellow-sweet in their flavor profile. Ripe Puer varies significantly from Raw Puer in its properties: while young Raw Puer has a high theine (caffeine) content and is very energizing, Ripe Puer and matured Raw Puer, have a very low theine level and can also be consumed during the evening hours without influencing the sleep.
Health Benefits & Traditional Chinese Medicine Nature
Raw Puers are comparable to green teas in their properties. They are very "cold" in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) - even more than some green teas, they are thus suitable to people that are easy to feel hot or sweat and ideal to be enjoyed during summer and hot days. It is also very efficient against constipation and for "countering" heavy meals and heavy diets rich in meat. Due to its high theine / caffeine and mineral content, Raw Puer is the perfect energizer for the morning.
Ripe Puers are slightly more comparable to black teas in their properties. Ripe puers are "warm" in TCM, and thus suitable to people that are easy to feel cold and people with stomach problems and a sensitive digestion. In difference to black tea, Ripe Puer is not just oxidized but fermented. Due to the fermentation process during the production, micro-organisms start to grow within the fermenting tea leafs. These micro-organisms are especially beneficial for the digestive system. Therefore, Ripe Puer is also very efficient in "countering" heavy meals and a meat-rich diet.
