Pu'er (Chinese: 普洱茶, pinyin pϔ'ěrchá, palla. puercha, literally: “tea from Puer”) is a post-fermented tea. It is distinguished by a specific production technology: the collected leaves, processed to the level of green tea, are subjected to microbial fermentation procedures - natural or artificial (accelerated) aging. Fermentation occurs under the influence of Aspergillus acidus, mold fungi of the Aspergian genus. This type of mushroom is not dangerous to humans, but the thin tea leaves have a special, unique taste. In tea, their activity determines the chemical structure of existing aromatic compounds and creates new ones that were not present in the original leaves.
There are two types of pu-erh: SHEN AND SHU
SHEN PUER or GREEN PUER:
Traditionally, pu'er is made from raw maoha (毛茶). Depending on the technology, this process takes several days. Its inspection occurs solely due to the long-term work of aspergillus and other processes involved in fermentation, which occurs after the tea has been consumed.
The taste associations of shen puer change with age.
Young Shen Puer - berry notes, wild herbs can predominate in it, the taste has a lot of astringency, flowers, honey, apples. It is close to green tea.
Ripe sheng is dry, dried fruit, smoky and oily, and becomes darker and softer.
Old Shen is already like an old book with polkas; the aroma detects sugar radishes, potatoes, and tanned leather.
Shen Puer is a strong natural energy. It refreshes and tones. Young Shen is quite harsh, so drinking it from scratch is highly discouraged. Over the years, Shen becomes softer and more comfortable to drink, which is reflected in its alkalizing properties for Shu. Shen provides increased elasticity of blood vessels.
How is shen puer different from shu puer?
Shen puer is puerh that continues to “age” in this mode. Its inspection occurs solely due to the long-term work of aspergillus and other processes involved in fermentation, which occurs after the tea has been consumed.
Shu Pu'er goes through artificial accelerated fermentation, which allows the tea leaves to be very quickly brought to the state that it takes years to achieve.
History of Pu'er
About 1,400 years ago, residents of what is now Yunnan Province (southwest China) began exporting tea to Tibet in exchange for horses. Large bundles of loose tea were tied to a pack belly and carried across the Himalayas. The journey sometimes lasted longer than a year. After some time, traders realized that if the tea was compressed, then they could take more of it, store it better and sell faster. Buyers began to notice something else: the new pressed tea turned out to be more interesting in taste than the leaf version that preceded it.
Since in China initially all producers sent their leaves down the river to the city of Pu'er, where the tea factories are located, this variety got its name from the name of the locality.
Types of Shen Pu'er
Tea connoisseurs have found several types of pu-erh based on many parameters - maturity and shape.
Young or mature?
As with fine wine, the taste of real pu-erh varies over the years (the price increases), but many tea drinkers also enjoy the taste of young pu-erh, which shares many of the characteristics of green tea. However, aged pu-erh is in high demand, costs more, and is the basis of much historical research. It is sold and collected like fine wine, with some varieties costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Forms of Shen Puer
There are two main processes for preparing Pu'er tea - loose and pressed.
