Pu-erh Tea

The Puer tea harvest season begins in March and continues through to November. Generally, the spring Puer tea is harvested from mid-March to early May. The harvesting of ancient tree spring tea usually starts at the end of March, with full-scale harvesting beginning in early to mid-April. The timing may vary slightly each year based on temperature conditions. Typically, the best time for fresh leaf picking is about half an hour after sunrise, ideally between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM, to avoid issues related to high moisture content in the leaves that could affect the withering and processing. The optimal seasons for tea picking are spring, summer, and autumn. Specifically, spring tea is picked from March to late April; summer tea is harvested from May to June (with very limited Puer tea being picked during this period in Yunnan); and autumn tea is gathered in September and October. There is also a distinction between the dry and rainy seasons, with the dry season spring tea being particularly prized due to its robust character before the rains come. "Spring tip" tea is considered especially favored by nature, with the first spring buds sprouting from February to March. Any tea picked from…...

## Abstract: China's Douyun Maojian tea is a high-quality green tea from Douyun City, Guizhou Province, with a widespread origin story. This article analyzes the historical background, cultural connotations, production techniques, taste characteristics, value and benefits, and market development of Douyun Maojian tea to illustrate its history, culture, and modern value. Please bear with any limitations or errors (personal views; April 2024). **Keywords:** China; Tea culture; Douyun Maojian; Historical and cultural aspects; Modern value  *Image source: Network* ### I. Historical Background of Douyun Maojian Tea #### 1.1 Origin and Legends China's Douyun Maojian tea is a high-quality green tea from Douyun City, Guizhou Province, with widely circulated origins and legends. It is said that the legend of Douyun Maojian tea can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. According to legend, there was a master of tea studies named Lu Yu who discovered a type of tea tree in the Douyun area during his travels in Guizhou. This tea tree grew at higher altitudes, with thick, tender buds that were fine, uniform, and covered in prominent downy hairs. Lu Yu praised this tea highly, considering it of excellent quality. He made tea from these leaves, finding the taste exceptional.…...

Puer raw tea is suitable for storage and has an increasing value. Puer tea, based on the differences in processing techniques, is divided into two categories: raw tea and ripe tea. Raw tea is made from Yunnan large-leaf sun-dried green tea, which is steamed and pressed into shape. The finished product is rich and active in substances, and its quality improves over time, making it suitable for long-term storage. Ripe tea, on the other hand, undergoes fermentation and piling processes, resulting in stable tea quality that is ideal for daily consumption. Precautions for Collecting Puer Tea: 1. Blindly Pursuing "Age" and "Antiquity" Many collectors believe that the longer the vintage and the higher the price, the greater the collection value of Puer tea. They thus blindly pursue Puer aged teas from the 1960s and 1970s. However, Puer teas stored for two to three decades are already rare, while those stored for four to five decades or even longer are extremely scarce. Some so-called "aged cakes" sold for thousands of yuan are actually produced by unscrupulous manufacturers and merchants who exploit consumers' preference for age, deliberately presenting young teas as old ones with fake labels. The actual cost of such teas…...

Both young and middle-aged people gradually develop the habit of drinking tea, and people are certainly no strangers to it. Tea, along with rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other staples, underscores its importance. Among the six types of tea, Pu'er tea is very popular, and many people collect it in large quantities. How Should Pu'er Tea Be Stored? People are very fond of Pu'er tea, whether they are new or seasoned tea drinkers. How should Pu'er tea be stored? This is probably a question that many people face. If not stored properly, Pu'er tea can mold and become useless, undrinkable. Pu'er tea comes in various flavors and from numerous regions, such as Lincang tea, Menghai tea, and even more renowned areas like Bulang Mountain and Yiwu. These are some of the most well-known teas in the Pu'er category. As a leader in Pu'er tea, Tiantiaren (Heaven-Earth-People) tea is highly favored, so let's use it as an example. The storage of Tiantiaren Pu'er tea is similar to that of other Pu'ers. When storing Pu'er tea, try to separate raw and ripe teas to avoid flavor contamination. The amount of tea one stores is also important; I personally feel that…...

When Pu'er Shengcha is aged for ten years and stored properly, it undergoes rich changes in taste, becoming more mellow with reduced bitterness and astringency turning into sweetness and smoothness. Its aroma may also transform. What are the Characteristics of Pu'er Shengcha Aged for 10 Years? This depends on where you store your tea. For example, if stored in Kunming, its surrounding areas, or northern regions like Beijing and Northeast China, the aroma of Pu'er tea aged for ten years will be very good, with high concentration. The later transformation of Pu'er tea in these places is relatively slow, so the bitterness and astringency decrease slowly, but the tea's energy remains very strong. If stored in regions like Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, or Fujian, which have higher humidity and temperature, Pu'er tea aged for ten years will have a smoother and richer broth, but the aroma will be much weaker. Different storage locations bring out different characteristics, and it's not necessarily true that one is better than the other. Personally, I believe that the nature of Pu'er tea is best preserved in drier places, what we call dry-storage Pu'er, which can better reflect the personality of Pu'er tea. However, opinions may…...

The sustained attention to health has long been one of the main themes in today's society and an important part of improving our quality of life. Seeking a healthier lifestyle has become a common consensus among many people. Among these, the role of tea is significant. The remarkable aspect of Puer tea is that soaking a few leaves in water creates a drink that can bring health benefits, with Puer tea standing out among them. When we delve into the microscopic world and examine the primary components of Puer tea, there are hidden wonders of health. Tea Polyphenols: The Main Forces that Can Attack and Defend Tea polyphenols are the general term for about 30 types of phenolic substances hidden in Puer tea, which is a major chemical component of the tea and one of the main sources of its color, aroma, and taste. In terms of health preservation, tea polyphenols also hold a dominant position, like a main force, helping us maintain the health of our bodies. Tea polyphenols have impressive fighting power and strong physiological activity, efficiently eliminating "free radicals" within the body. Free radicals are harmful substances produced during human respiration of oxygen, resulting from excessive oxidative…...

Those who enjoy drinking aged Pu'er tea usually keep some at home. However, those lacking storage experience often find their tea has molded, deteriorated, or developed strange odors after a few years. So, how should we correctly store Pu'er tea? Storage Tips for Aged Pu'er Tea: 1. Avoid Contamination: The environment where you store Pu'er tea must be free from contamination. This is a common concern when storing any type of tea, and it applies to Pu'er tea as well. Because Pu'er tea contains terpenoids and high molecular weight palmitic acid, it can quickly absorb the odors of other substances, which can mask or alter the tea's original scent. Therefore, when storing Pu'er tea at home, take strict precautions against common odors such as cooking oil, cosmetics, and medicines. 2. Avoid High Temperatures: The storage temperature for raw Pu'er should not be too high or too low; a range of 20-40°C is most suitable. Higher temperatures can cause the tea to turn sour. In particular, during summer, high temperatures can accelerate the degradation of chlorophyll in Pu'er tea. Chlorophyll continuously transforms into demagnesium chlorophyll, changing the bright green color to a dark brown. High temperatures also exacerbate the autoxidation of…...

There are several methods for storing Pu'er tea at home, such as in ceramic jars, tin cans, leather paper bags, cardboard boxes, purple clay pots, aluminum foil bags, or in their original packaging. When storing, it's important to ensure they are sealed, kept dry, out of direct sunlight, and away from odors. For single cakes of Pu'er tea, you can use aluminum foil bags to seal them. For multiple cakes, pack them in leather paper bags and place them in a cardboard box, then seal the box. How to Store Pu'er Tea at Home? 1. Tea easily absorbs odors, so store it away from kitchens, bathrooms, and areas where cosmetics or medicines are kept. 2. Choose a location that is not prone to dampness. Once tea becomes damp, it can easily develop mold. In mild cases, this may result in a storage flavor that alters the taste; in severe cases, it can produce an unpleasant musty odor, rendering the tea undrinkable. If the tea gets damp and you catch it early, you can air it out in a well-ventilated area or sun-dry it until it is dry. However, if the tea has already developed significant mold, no matter how good…...

Pu'er tea's characteristic of improving with age attracts many tea enthusiasts to collect it actively. In the tea storage market, Pu'er tea is a hot favorite, with many people enthusiastic about buying and selling it. Collecting tea is a good thing, but the current market is mixed with both good and bad, making it easy for novices to fall into misconceptions. A Brief Discussion on Misconceptions in Pu'er Tea Collection1. Blindly Pursuing Age: Pu'er tea does indeed improve with age, and because of this characteristic, older teas are highly sought after. Pu'er teas that have been stored for a long time are expensive and rare, and some unscrupulous merchants take advantage of this by passing off teas that are only one or two months old as aged teas.2. Blindly Pursuing Storage Time: Pu'er tea can be stored for a long time, but this doesn't mean the longer the better. If stored for too long, the tea will over-age, greatly reducing its flavor, and may even become as tasteless as water. Sacrificing the taste of the tea for long-term storage is not worth it.3. Blindly Pursuing Famous Mountain Teas: Famous mountain teas are like aged teas – they are valuable because…...

Dry-warehouse Pu'er tea refers to Pu'er tea stored in a dry, ventilated warehouse environment with low humidity. "Dry" in "dry warehouse" means dry storage, which is not a manufacturing process of Pu'er tea but rather a method or environment for its preservation later on. How to Identify Dry-Warehouse Pu'er Tea 1. Appearance: Dry-warehouse Pu'er tea has compact and firm tea leaves, fresh and lustrous color, and a shiny surface, fully demonstrating the vitality of the tea. 2. Aroma: Dry-warehouse Pu'er tea has an aged tea aroma. 3. Infusion Color: The infusion color of dry-warehouse Pu'er tea is chestnut to dark chestnut, and the tea still retains bitterness and astringency. The infusion is clear and bright. 4. Leaf Base: The leaf base of dry-warehouse Pu'er tea is chestnut yellow to deep fruit color, with active softness and elasticity. 5. Cake Body: The edge of dry-warehouse Pu'er tea cakes is looser due to moisture, but it also becomes harder towards the center due to moisture and pressure. Characteristics of Dry-Warehouse Pu'er Tea Dry-warehouse Pu'er tea refers to tea stored in a clean, well-ventilated, and dry warehouse (generally with air humidity less than 70%) where the tea naturally ferments. It is best aged…...

Liubao tea, Anhua dark tea, raw Pu'er tea, ripe Pu'er tea, and Fuding white tea can be stored for a long time. These teas are post-fermented or aged over time. They contain abundant pectin, sugars, amino acids, etc., and require time for enzymatic reactions. As they age, their aroma becomes richer, making them suitable for long-term storage. Which Teas Are Suitable for Long-Term Storage? 1. White Tea White tea is often referred to as "a one-year tea, three-year medicine, seven-year treasure." Storing white tea helps transform its fresh, sweet flavor, increasing its sweetness and developing aromas like jujube and medicinal herbs, with a clear, sweet taste. White tea aged for more than three years has a gentler nature, making it very suitable for people with weaker spleen and stomachs to drink. 2. Pu'er Tea Both raw and ripe Pu'er tea can be stored for a long time, but raw tea has greater storage value. Stored in different environments, Pu'er tea undergoes changes in different directions, which is extremely intriguing. The longer the storage time, the richer the layers of taste and the stronger the flavor. 3. Dark Tea Storing dark tea benefits the further transformation by beneficial bacteria, making the…...

Green tea, yellow tea, and oolong tea should be stored in the refrigerator’s chill compartment, with an ideal temperature range of 0 to 5°C. They should not be frozen, as this can cause moisture to freeze and condense on the surface of the tea packaging, increasing the risk of dampness. On the other hand, dark tea (pu'er) and white tea have aging value and are best stored at room temperature in a dry place; they do not require refrigeration. Storing Tea: Refrigeration or Freezing 1. Store tea in the refrigerator’s chill compartment. A storage temperature around 10 degrees Celsius is preferable, but if it can be maintained between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius, the storage effect will be even better. 2. Tea has a strong tendency to absorb moisture and odors. When storing tea in the refrigerator, make sure the tea is well-sealed and that there are no strong odors in the fridge. Seal the tea tightly before placing it in the refrigerator. Additionally, do not store the tea alongside items with strong odors to avoid contamination. 3. After removing chilled tea from the refrigerator for use, reseal it promptly to prevent it from absorbing moisture from the air, which…...