Introduction

Pu’er tea or pu-erh tea, known as “black tea” in the Far East part of the world, is a variety of fermented tea produced in the Yunnan and is named after the market town (now Pu’er City) in which it was first developed. Puer tea is made from the broad leaf variety (camellia sinensis var. assamica) of the tea plant camellia sinensis which are ancient trees with mature leaves that are said to be between 500 and 1000 years old. These trees are usually grown the Southwest region of Yunnan China, believed to be the birthplace of tea. Over 1200 years ago, the people of the area began cultivating “tea gardens,” open areas, mostly in the high mountains, where tea trees are grown, coexisting with the native plants and ecology. Although they can be harvested year-round, the opportune time to harvest is in mid-spring. Various conditions and environmental factors can impact the flavor profile of puer, resulting in a rich experience for the tea drinker’s palate of this bold tea that can be smooth, fruity, peaty, grassy, musky, herbal and earthy.

Kunming storage refers to Pu-erh teas that were stored in Kunming, Yunnan. Kunming storage would be considered dry storage especially compared to Guangdong or Banna wet storage (also called traditional storage). Kunming stored Pu-erh teas are typically strong in taste and are closer to their origins having retained much of their original character compared to their wetter-stored counterparts.

Pu-erh tea is made from Yunnan large-leaf varietal of Camellia Sinensis. It is typically processed into compressed cakes, bricks and tuos. Pu-erh is particularly special because it can be aged for decades or longer, always changing and (in most cases) developing more depth and texture. Raw Pu-erh (生茶) is the traditional form of Pu-erh, and is sun-dried and compressed.

Highlights