Welcome to Pu-Erh Teas

Welcome to Pu-erh Teas. This site is dedicated to providing interesting and relevant information on this unusual tea.  Pu-erh, Puer, Pu’er, Pu’er tea, Puer or Bolay tea is a broad leaf tea traditionally harvested from wild tea trees.   While white, green, oolong, black, and pu-erh teas all are harvested from the Camellia sinensis plant, Pu-erh tea is brewed from the leaves of Camellia sinensis var. assamica.  Pu-erh teas predominantly come from the Southern Yunnan province of China.  Pu-erh (pronounced POO-air) is one of China’s most famous medicinal teas and has been enjoyed for over one thousand years.

The large leaves are either oxidized (cooked) or left raw, however even raw, or green, pu-erh tea is briefly fired to stop enzymatic activity in the leaves.  Pu-erh teas are sold as loose leaf tea or pressed into cakes and other shapes.  Like wines, Pu-erh teas are designated by the year and production location.  The leaves of the oldest trees are most sought after.  Correctly brewed Pu-erh tea has a rich, earthy flavor that is in a class of its own.  It has an extremely long shelf life and, depending on the variety, may be suitable for drinking at 50 years after harvest and beyond. Properly processed, aged pu-erh from high quality trees can increase significantly in value over time.  In recent years, this has led to higher prices for rarer pu-erh teas.  However, it appears higher prices fueled by speculation have subsided for the time being.

Many medicinal properties are ascribed to pu-erh tea and it is believed to be suitable for people of all ages.  While the tea is frequently purchased to aid in weight loss and to combat the ill effects of excessive alcohol consumption, studies indicate that the tea can reduce blood cholesterol.