Pu-er tea is famous for its medicinal qualities, lowers cholesterol and improves digestion.

Pu'er, Pu-erh, Puer, Po Lei or Bolay is a postfermented tea variety produced in China in the Yunnan province.

Post-fermentation is a tea production technique in which the tea leaves undergo a microbial fermentation process after they have been dried and laminated. This is a Chinese specialty and is sometimes referred to as black tea. There are a couple of different provinces each with some regions that produce black tea of ​​different varieties. Those produced in Yunnan are generally referred to as Pu'er, referring to the name of the Pu'er county which was used as an exchange place for black tea during imperial China. Pu'er tea is available as loose leaves or in various tablet forms. There is also the differentiation based on the processing of raw materials: raw type (shēng 生) and seasoned type (shú 熟). The type "shú" refers to those varieties that have gone through a proper post-fermentation process, while the "shēng" type are the varieties that are in the process of gradual obscuring through exposure to environmental elements. Some selections from both types can be stored to make them mature before consumption. This is why some are labeled with the year and the production area.
 
aging and conservation

Pu'er tea of ​​all varieties, shapes and cultures can be aged to improve its taste, but the physical properties of tea will affect aging speed and quality. These properties include:

    Leaf quality: The most important factor, probably, is the quality of the leaf. A Maocha that has been unduly transformed will not age to the level of sophistication of an appropriately treated maocha. The degree and the cultivation of the leaf greatly affect the quality and therefore the aging.
    Pressing: the tighter the tea is, the slower the aging will be. In this regard, hand-pressed puisers and stone will age faster than the more compact ones produced with the hydraulic press.
    Shape and size: the larger the surface, the faster the aging of the tea. Bingcha and therefore '' zhuancha will age more rapidly than golden melons, tuocha, or jincha. Larger bingls age more slowly than smaller ones and so on.

Equally important for the quality of tea are environmental conservation factors that can influence the speed and success of aging. They include:

    Airflow: Regulates the oxygen content surrounding the tea and removes odors during tea aging. The stagnant air will lead to an aged tea with a stale smell. Storing a tea in the plastic will eventually stop the aging process.
    Smells: Tea kept in the presence of strong smells will acquire them, sometimes, for the whole duration of their "life". Under vacuum, a tea can reduce these odors, even if often not completely.
    Moisture: The higher the humidity, the faster the tea will age. Liquid water accumulating on tea can accelerate the aging process, but it can also cause mold growth or make tea taste less desirable. 60-85% humidity is recommended [13]. It is claimed that the quality of tea is compromised if subjected to significant fluctuations in moisture levels.
    Sunlight: Tea exposed to sunlight dries first and often becomes bitter.
    Temperature: Tea should not be subjected to high temperatures because unwanted flavors will develop. However, at low temperatures, tea aging may slow down dramatically. It is argued that the quality of tea is compromised if subjected to considerable temperature fluctuation.

When stored as part of a tong, the material of the tong wrap, whether it is made of bamboo shoots, bamboo leaves or thick paper, can also affect the quality of the aging process. The packaging methods modify the environmental factors and can also contribute to the taste of the tea itself. Following this, it should be noted that a good seasoned Pu'er tea is not only evaluated for its age. Like all things in life, there will come a time when a pu'er disk will reach its peak before stumbling into a decline. Because of the many recipes and the different processing methods used for the production of different batches of Pu'er, the optimal age for each aging can vary; for some it may take up to 10 years, while for another 20, 30 or more years. It is important to check the aging state of the disc to know when it has reached its peak in order to provide adequate care to stop the aging process.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.