Almond Joyous

Pu erh Tea

• Most Unusual Type of Tea
• Fermented and Oxidized Tea Leaf
• Approx 1% of Coffee Caffeine
• Helps to Lower Cholesterol
• Promotes Melatonin Production - helps to sleep
• Help Aid Digestion - Probiotic
• High Antibacterial Activity
• Great way to boost Metabolism
• Help Manage Blood Sugar
• Calorie-free, Fat-free, Gluten Free

When talking about the many types of tea, Puerh is not as well known or available as the other teas but has an amazing following.  Puerh is only produced in one province in South Chinna called Yunnan and is considered one of the oldest forms of tea. There are still areas today where Puerh is used as a currency!  Pu erh is a part of the Camellia Sinensis plant but is processed differently...it is the only tea leaf that is oxidized and fermented. The fermentation that occurs in the pu erh leaf is very similar to what happens when you would make your own compost, yogurt and cheese.  With this dual processing this tea becomes a great option for the digestive system creating probiotics.

There are two categories for Puerh - Raw (Sheng) or Ripened (Shou).  We carry only Ripened Loose Pu Erh in our stores...because they produce such a rich taste.  Our Ripened Pu Erh does undergo a faster, deeping aging process. The Black Tea Leaves that are oxidized are piled together, Some are are wet and some are dry and they are stirred together and covered to encourage fermentation.  This can take about 3-6 months. After this is complete...many of the teas will set for 5-7 years creating a flavor that tastes very aged and oaky. The cup of tea has a really dark colour making it a full bodied and lots of layers of flavor.  It can be described as having an earthy, woodsy aroma, like a damp forest after the rain, with flavors like fresh hay. but the texture and aftertaste is smooth and soft.

Pu erh is also very forgiving when steeping, you can steep the leaves with boiling water for 10 minutes or several hours because it will not get bitter.  The flavor just gets richer and richer making it great to add a bit of milk to for a full bodied cup of tea.