| Name | Yúnnán pǔěr / 云南普洱 |
| English | Puer |
| Region | Simao, Yunnan |
| Manufacture | Not oxidized, fermented |
| Style | Open leaf and buds |
| Flavor | Smoothly sweet and lingering, deep (can be woody) |
| Aroma | Herbaceous, penetratingly floral |
| Liquor | Dark, burnt umber tinged with red-orange |
| Brewing | Numerous short infusions at 95-100°C |
Puer, known as black tea in Chinese (not to be confused with black English tea, which is known as red tea in Chinese), is yet another member of the 十大名茶. Allegedly, Zhu Ge Liang from the Three Kingdoms period (220-360) encouraged the Yunnan people to cultivate tea to improve their lives. A popular staple in Cantonese dim sum restaurants, Puer has had a spell of popularity outside of China due to Victoria Beckham referring to it as “the miracle skinny tea“, Time Magazine calling it “China’s Next Hot Commodity” and rapidly appreciating prices at auction houses that put the China property market to shame.
On the other hand, in China it was unceremoniously replaced on the Top Ten List by Hunan Black Brick Tea when the recent Shanghai Expo Top Ten List was announced.
Rather than ordering a full tea cake, I decided on a much, more sample-friendly package of tea pieces.
Unlike every other category of tea which quickly starts to degrade over time (many green tea and wulong teas within a year, black teas in 2-3 years), Puer teas can last anywhere between 2 and 50 years before they are brewed. This made them ideal teas for transportation over long distances and many months.
I find the brewed tea to be an acquired taste. I understand the unusual, earthy flavors are a result of the fermentation process where bacteria and microbes alter the tea leaves over time, but Puer (or at least the Puer I have sampled so far) is near the bottom of my preferred teas. I have seen people add 菊花 (Chrysanthemum) when brewing Puer, but that seems to betray the purity of the original tea leaves. In any case the Taobao Tea Trail needs bookend teas and I still have the suspicion that my ignorance of fine Puers is coloring my judgment.
More Information (from Baidu Baike):
Puer mainly hails from the Langcang Lake region in Yunnan Province, the birth place of Yunnan’s s big leaf teas and the foremost tea producing area in the province.
Puer rarely comes in loose leaves. It is compressed into solid shapes for transportation purposes early on. But the tradition has survived into the present day. There are 3 main types of Puer based on shape:
- Tea cakes: refers to Puer compressed into the shape of a round flat piece of bread.
- Tea tablets: refers to Puer compressed into bite-size pieces.
- Tea bricks: refers to Puer compressed into the shape of a brick.
Puer is also divided into “raw” and “cooked” types based on the production process. Raw Puer refers to tea which is naturally fermented. The smell and taste are pungent. It is advised that one should store raw Puer for a few years before consumption in order to “tame” or neutralize the taste. Cooked Puer is a more contemporary invention came into being in 1973. The fermentation is man-controlled which renders the tea a milder flavor and more consistent quality.
When appreciating Puer, one should pay special attention to the color of the liquor. Good Puer should have an intense reddish brown color with a layer of golden sheen, known as the “golden touch”. There should be a thin oily layer floating on top of the liquid. When it comes to the taste, one should be looking for a smooth and solid texture with slightly sweet aftertaste. Bad Puer often tastes bitter, moldy and sour.
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