Pu erh tea comes from the Yunnan province in China where it is thought of as a medicinal tea. Some pu-erh trees are very old with oldest known tree now being over 2000 years old. Once pu-erh is processed it can be kept indefinitely and it actually gets better with age.

Think of Pu-erh as a fine wine. Each one offering a different experience for the palate depending on the age of the tea. A basic description of flavor would be deep and earthy with the right touch of mellowness.

Health Benefits

Pu-erh is known for helping digestion and reducing cholesterol. It's best taken with a fatty meal to help digestion.


Appearance

Pu-erh is usually sold in solid blocks or bricks but it can also be purchased in loose form. In ancient China the tea bricks were once used as currency. The dry tea leaves have a blackish color and sometimes even a bit of reddish color. Once the tea is brewed it has a deep red color.

How to brew

As with all tea it's important to use the freshest possible water you can find. Natural spring water is good but filtered water will do.

Teapot: Pre-warm the pot.
Water: Rolling Boil
Brew: 2 - 10 minutes (adjust for taste)