Pu-erh (Pu Er, Puer) Tea comes from the southwestern corner of China, in the Yunnan province.  Its name is derived from the ancient market town where all the tea in the region was taken after harvest.  Buyers from other areas eventually came to call it by that name.  Pu-erh is unique in that it was traditionally made exclusively from old-growth trees found in the forests of Yunnan.  Botanists suggest that these trees (also found in Sichuan, Burma and parts of India) are the forefathers of all tea.  They believe that either the southern part of Yunnan, called Xishuangbanna, or perhaps Lincang, is the original source of Camellia sinensis, and have even found fossilized magnolias there that are thought to be the ancestors of the first tea trees.

Contrary to popular belief, pu-erh tea is processed more simply than other kinds of tea.  Some Western books have described the processing of pu-erh as complicated or as more involved than other kinds of tea.  While newer kinds of pu-erh, like shou, which is artificially fermented, are a bit more involved, its traditional processing is actually much simpler than other kinds of tea, and represents a more basic and ancient methodology.  It is oolong teas that are generally the most complex to process.  With pu-erh, the leaves are plucked and brought back to the village from the jungle, then they are withered to make them softer and more pliable as well as to oxidize them.  The tea is then fried in a wok to "kill-green" (sa cheen), which mostly arrests oxidation and destroys enzymes that are unpleasant to taste.  After this, the tea is kneaded (rou nien) on bamboo mats to break down its cellular structure and allow fermentation to begin.  Finally, the raw tea (mao cha) is sun-dried.  Later, after the tea is sold to a factory, it is often compressed into various shapes using steam.

Tea: Oxidation and Fermentation  

Unlike other types of tea, fermentation is an important component in the production of pu-erh. Writers and vendors have called attention to the confusion between "oxidation" and "fermentation", a trend that is furthered by the fact that the Chinese language does not distinguish the two terms, calling them fa xiao. Oxidation is a biochemical process in which oxygen is absorbed and then transforms a given matter. It can be controlled or occur naturally, and can have positive or negative effects on tea. The withering stage of tea production is an example of oxidation.  

Fermentation, on the other hand, is microbial activity that requires the presence of one or more forms of bacteria, which then cause a breakdown in the cellular structure of organic matter. Cheeses and yogurts are other examples of fermented food products. When pu-erh tea is first processed, it is astringent, bitter and strong. It is also "cold" in terms of Chinese medicinal philosophy, which is only suitable to certain constitutions. For that reason, it has always been fermented, which transforms the astringency of pu-erh into warm, smooth liquor that soothes the body and soul.  

There are two kinds of pu-erh tea : raw (sheng) and ripe (shou). Raw pu-erh is time-honored, produced in the mao cha method discussed above and then compressed into cakes when it is green. It has traditionally been fermented by storing it for several years in humid climates, where the combination of moisture, oxygen and heat further the microbial activity that changes the tea. Ripe pu-erh, however, goes through an additional artificial fermentation that has been done in various ways throughout history, though in its modern form it's called wo dwei, which roughly translates to "piled". This artificial fermentation method was first tested in the 1960s, and then licensed in the early '70s. Wo dwei is done by heaping the tea into piles that are moistened and then covered with thermal blankets. The heat and moisture speed up the fermentation. The piles are stirred, rotated and sifted over the course of days, weeks or months, depending on the degree of fermentation desired.  

The bacteria that allow pu-erh to ferment are present in several aspects of this unique tea. Firstly, the old-growth trees in Yunnan's primordial forests are covered in a flora of bacteria not present on plantation teas. Secondly, the rooms where the raw material is processed are often in villages within these jungles themselves, and are enriched with the same bacteria. Once the tea makes it to the factory, it is steamed and compressed into various cakes. The steam rooms are equally full of bacteria. Finally, the humid environment where raw tea is stored, or the moistened piles in which ripe pu-erh teas are artificially fermented, also introduce the tea to bacteria to further the fermentation that cause the magical changes over time.

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Old Growth, Old Tea Tree

Because so much tea is labeled "old growth" or "old tea tree" in the world of pu-erh without a clear standard of what these terms mean beyond marketing, we must search for fairly specific definition for "tree" as opposed to "bush", and "old growth" in comparison to new.  For me, old-growth tea meets three criteria:

1. It should be old, obviously, Tea-tree-as opposed to bushes-don't reach leaf-bearing maturity until they are 10 to 15 years old, and aren't what most would call "old" until they reach 100 to 3000 years.  Many of the real old-growth gardens were propagated by farmers who planted them roughly that long ago.  Some were then abandoned and are being rediscovered as the popularity of pu-erh tea increased.  And there are much older gardens as well. "To be classified as a bona-fide old tea tree, the cultivation and processing of the tea should be done by hand, without any pruning or cutting of the tree."
2. Such tea should develop in a natural ecosystem, without the use of pesticides, weed killers or fertilizers, as we learn more and more about the tremendous role that ecology plays in agriculture of any kind.
3. The cultivation and processing of the tea should be done by hand, without any pruning or cutting of the tree.  This was probably the first method used for cultivating tea.  As such, these trees should be seed-propagated and allowed to follow a natural course of development as they grow.

In every genre of tea, the old-growth trees have always been sought and coveted by tea masters, Taoist and Buddhist monks and even emperors for tribute tea.  Many Buddhist and Taoist monasteries were established on mountains where such great trees grew naturally, offering incredible tea to help succor the spiritual work of the mendicants, who were also the first tea farmers.  For thousands of years, the dialogue between man and tea-expressed even in the character for tea, which contains the symbol for man-went on to inspire friendship, culture, art and the height of spiritual insight.  

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Pu Er Tea: Health Benefits

Pu Er tea has been celebrated since the Tang Dynasty (618AD-906AD) for its health benefits and curative powers in certain diseases. Modern medical science has recently shown that the health benefits of Pu Er tea may be more than just Chinese folklore. Since 1970 France, Japan and China have been conducting many scientific studies on Pu Er tea which suggest that it may:

• Reduce cholesterol in the blood stream
• Reduce body weight
• Help to reduce high blood pressure, heart & liver diseases related to high saturated fat diets detoxify the liver
• Help prevent intestinal infection, digestive problems and constipation
• Help to prevent the formation of cancer cells in the body due to its anti-oxidants

Interview with Doctor Wu: Ancient Tree Teas - Happy Mountain Pu Er Tea 

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