What is pu-erh tea, what are the benefits and harms of the drink. How to choose a quality Pu-erh

When it comes to tea selection, many rely on in-store consultants. But remember, the store makes a profit from sales, and often the consultant will tout the product in order to sell it to you. Inexperienced drinkers can spend a lot of money on tea that is not really worth it. Although there are, of course, stores whose recommendations you can trust, it’s better, after all, to understand some of the subtleties yourself, and not rely on the advice of sellers.

Here are the main tips that will help you in choosing real pu-erh tea:

1. See how tea is packaged and under what conditions it is sold.

Pu-erh must be sold and stored in a cool, dry place, separate from strong-smelling substances, but in such a way that it has little access to air. Usually it is sold in the original paper packaging. Tea shops selling pu-erh briquettes in sealed packages are unlikely to offer you quality goods. And they store it, most likely, incorrectly.

2. Smell the tea.

Good pu-erh has a clear, distinct smell. Depending on the age of the tea, smoky or woody aromas may be present in the smell. But there should be no other foreign odors or mold smell. Tea absorbs odors very easily, so if stored improperly, it can take on an interesting aroma: cooking food, spices, etc.

3. Pay attention to the appearance of the tea.

Tea briquettes with long term exposures will look reddish. Young pu-erh will be greenish. But it will never be pure black. There should be no white or yellow dots on the briquette, which indicate the formation of mold. When buying an expensive pu-erh briquette, pay attention that it is solid, without large cracks. Sometimes expensive pu-erh is given a taste by scraping small piece from the rear surface of the briquette. Then on the briquette you can find a small depression and notice the peeling of the leaves. It is rarely noticeable, but if you see it, you know that you have lost some tea since your briquette was selected for testing.

4. Try tea.

Of course, you can understand the taste of pu-erh only after you have tried many of its types. You can taste various samples in tea museums, this will allow you to better understand the taste of pu-erh and its aging time.

And a few more tips:

• Be clear about what you want. If you are clear about what type of pu-erh you want (for example: Shu, Sheng, aged, young), you can spend more time researching the properties and finding the exact type that you are interested in. Although for beginners it is not so important. It is more important for them to try as much as possible various kinds pu-erh to decide which one you like best.
• Check out the prices and range of tea online, even if you're going to buy it from a local shop. Pu-erh is produced by various factories, but there is always a specific batch number. The main factories are Menghai, Xiaguan, Shuangjiang Mengku and others. Some tea shops that do not specialize in pu-erh will sell you poor quality tea at a high price.

I hope these tips will help you choose a really high-quality and delicious tea.

You can be a fine connoisseur of pu-erh, understand the regions of production and learn to determine its taste, but it is much more important to be able to assess whether pu-erh is good or not, regardless of where the pu-erh is made. Especially for you, we have written a guide for choosing pu-erh, which will allow you to choose good tea and not buy a pack of straw at the price of pure raw materials from Lao Ban Zhang.

We will use all the senses, including tasting pu-erh. By the way, here is the first criterion for you: if the store does not allow you to order a sample of tea before buying a whole pancake, go to another store.

When tasting pu-erh, there are four important things to keep in mind about good pu-erh (in principle, this works for other teas as well):

• Appearance
• Aroma
• Taste, aftertaste
• Cha qi (tea energy, tea state)

Let's consider each of them.

Appearance

First of all, we evaluate appearance leaves.

Shen puer. Shen pu-erh leaves should have some glossy sheen, hairs, and be whole. Pancake should consist of shoots - several leaves on a branch, with a leg. Must not be a large number yellow blotches are old leaves. Often, in the production of pu-erh, "powder" is used - the best-quality leaves are placed on the outside for appearance. In good pu-erh, the leaves are the same everywhere when broken:

The leaf can be evaluated after brewing. Ideally, these should be whole cuttings, but it all depends on how carefully you broke the pancake. The brewed leaves should not break easily when rubbed between the fingers.

Shu Puer. In shu pu-erh, the size of the leaf affects the taste: a small leaf gives a more delicate and soft taste, a large one - more coarse, strong, brutal. Tea factories have adopted a classification of the leaf by grade depending on the size: Gunting ( top grade, small young leaf and buds), te zi, No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

The pu-erh infusion should be transparent and bright for both shu and shen, with a very a small amount tea dust particles - brightness is an indication of the high concentration of theine and caffeine. Also, a transparent infusion says that all stages of processing were carried out with high quality.

Aroma

The aroma can say a lot about pu-erh. First evaluate the aroma of dry leaves. Young shengs may have very little flavor. Best of all, the aroma of tea is revealed in heat, so we put the tea leaves in a dry, heated teapot or gaiwan for a few seconds, while the dishes with the lid closed can be shaken in our hands.

After washing (the first brew, which is not drunk), moist and warm leaves also give a lot of flavor. To appreciate it, we sniff the lid of a gaiwan or teapot, then the tea itself. If there are no suspicious unpleasant odors(sour, moldy, fishy), move on.

The aroma of pu-erh can also be assessed by an empty bowl when the tea is drunk - the smells of a bowl made of unglazed clay, which is porous in itself, “catch” especially well, but any glazed dishes do it well too. Glass is a little worse.

An extremely rich strong flavor (like oolongs) is not natural for forest pu-erh and may indicate the presence of a plantation leaf in the composition of the pancake. The aroma of sheng pu-erh, regardless of the prevailing notes (honey, orchid, fruits, camphor, herbs, etc.), is pure, natural, long-lasting, but very delicate.

Where does the smell of smoke come from in pu-erh?

Smoke in the aroma of pu-erh may appear due to drying the leaves in wood-burning ovens, if drying in the sun is impossible due to the weather (which most often happens in the summer during the rainy season and may indirectly indicate that the raw material is summer, i.e. not highest quality). But on the other hand, summer pu-erhs are more affordable in price than spring ones.
Smoke may also appear in pu-erh if it has been stored. for a long time in the farmer's house traditional houses open fire sources are often used in everyday life.
Some people like smoke, some don't, it's a matter of taste. In any case, the smoke in the aroma is not natural characteristic pu-erh and not an obligatory stage of the technological process.

The flavor of pu-erh can change very quickly. However, you will notice that some Pu-erhs are more fragrant than others: teas from Mengku, Nan Nuo Shan, Meng Song and Jing Mai have a strong aroma. Yiwu and Bu Lan Shan teas tend to have a more subdued flavor, but that doesn't mean they're bad or lack complexity—they have other benefits.

Taste

The taste of any pu-erh is a combination of three components: sweetness, bitterness and astringency, as well as a few additional concepts, such as the aftertaste of hou yong and the aroma of old age chen yong.

A separate article is devoted to the taste of pu-erh and how to taste pu-erh correctly:

Cha Qi

Another difficult word to understand. Cha Qi (茶气) - "the nature of tea". That is, in fact, what makes tea - tea. Sometimes roughly translated as "tea energy", which is not entirely true.

In Russian, there is no word that could fully describe the meaning of the concept of "qi". This is something like the driving force of all living, non-living, the essence of things, phenomena and life in general. Cha Qi in the context of tea combines many aspects: both olfactory (taste, aroma, aftertaste) and any physical or psychological changes that we feel while drinking tea. That is, again, the totality of things that make tea - tea.

You may notice many changes taking place in your body while drinking tea. Feelings change from person to person, someone perceives them stronger, someone weaker. Good tea can cause something akin to intoxication, and in China there is a separate concept of Cha Tsui 茶醉 for this. It passes in an hour or two and does not cause any negative consequences.

When you drink good pu-erh, you can feel more concentrated, relaxed and at the same time all internally full of energy - and all this at the same time. The mood rises, breathing becomes deeper and easier. Such a powerful positive relaxation.

How to choose pu-erh in the store

1. See how the tea is stored. Ideal Conditions for storage and aging of pu-erh: air temperature 20-24C, humidity - about 45-50%. At higher humidity, the pancake can become moldy, at very low humidity, the microorganisms involved in fermentation will die. Unlike other teas, pu-erh does not have to be hermetically sealed. Access fresh air- Necessarily. Ideally, this should be a separate cabinet where only pu-erhs are stored and where close to ideal conditions are created. 2. Rate the smell. Here we are not referring to aroma notes, but rather unwanted off-flavours that the tea can absorb. That is why you should not buy pu-erh in stores that sell, in addition to tea, coffee, flavored teas and spices, as well as in stores selling incense, aroma sticks, oils, etc.
Pu-erh, of course, should not smell like mold. Some sellers try to explain the natural smell of pu-erh in this way, but this is always a violation of storage conditions. 3. Pay attention to the appearance of the tea. Shu pu-erh has a brown-reddish hue, but never black. Sheng pu-erhs have greenish-yellow hues with obligatory inclusions of silver buds covered with fluff. The pancake should not have white/yellow dots that could be mold or fungus. And finally, a couple of tips - obvious at first glance, but not in relation to pu-erh:

• If the taste of tea is categorically unpleasant for you, you don’t need to drink it, justifying it to yourself by the fact that, well, here it is, pu-erh, with the taste of earth, herring and mold. Tea with such a taste and aroma is spoiled.
• Even if 10 people sitting around you say that tea is cool, still stick to your own point of view.
• With all this, understanding the taste of pu-erh in principle and some particular one in particular comes with experience. Experiment at home with water, its temperature and brewing time. Pu-erh is a very difficult and changeable tea. Practice is everything.

Don't be afraid to make a mistake and try as much pu-erh as you can by purchasing according to our guide. This is a guarantee that you will buy objectively good pu-erh, and then it’s a matter of your personal taste!

Come to our store - we have

The most mysterious and charismatic, attractive and ancient ... you guessed it, this is Pu-erh! How to choose, pressed or loose, what are the numbers written on the pancake?

You are in a store, in front of you are dozens of pancakes, bricks, dots, heads - and all this is pu-erh. And there is also loose, the seller tells you, in order to confuse and scare you completely. Inhale deeply, exhale and do not rush anywhere. The choice of tea is not an easy task. This is what distinguishes experienced pu-erh drinkers from beginners - experienced people choose tea with pleasure.

In general, choose pu-erh is easier than it seems. In this article, we will be happy to tell you how to do this and give advice on choosing this wonderful, mysterious, interesting Chinese tea!

Let's talk right away about what most of text will be devoted to black, post-fermented, much more popular in Russia than. Although many points and tips will be true for both shu and shen pu-erh, nevertheless, they have different properties and a fundamentally different flavor palette - it is not recommended to mix them.

Pressed or loose pu-erh, which one to choose?

This is the first thing you have to decide. There is no single answer to this question. You should definitely try pressed tea, loose tea, and also “heads”, and then pu-erh resin - to understand the whole spectrum.

 15.09.2017

 Tao of Tea

"We each have our own taste preferences, but the true nature of Puer is one"

Dan Shihai

Criteria in choosing a quality Pu-erh

For all types of tea, the quality determines the depth of taste and aroma. Depth of taste is called aftertaste, this is the feeling that occurs after you have taken a sip. IN Chinese this is denoted by the concept of Hou Yun, where Hou means throat and Yun means lingering charm. Hou Yun means that the taste arises in our throat and lingers. In Russian, it is difficult to find the most appropriate word, but the closest “depth of taste” or aftertaste. Hou Yun gives the depth of taste, creates three-dimensionality, volume, gives rise to the true depth of sensations and determines the quality of tea. The intensity of Hou Yun depends on the mineralization of the tea leaf. Mineralization, in turn, depends on the quality of raw materials. There is no point in aging raw materials of low grade. Therefore, first of all, we recommend paying attention to the raw materials, and only then look at the age of the tea. Unfortunately, not all people can appreciate Hou Yun (due to passion for cigarettes, food with flavor enhancers), if you do not know how to appreciate Hou Yun, there is no other way out than to depend on the brand. This is the reason why people are looking for tea that is produced in reputed factories. In fact, large factories are unlikely to produce high-quality Pu-erh, they often mix raw materials to even out the quality, and make large quantity tea to survive. It is also unlikely that processing can improve initially poor raw materials.

How is aftertaste born?

Water molecules (H2O) are made up of two elements, hydrogen (+) and oxygen (-). These elements carry both positive and negative electrical charges. This is called a dipole in chemistry. These electrical charges cause the water molecules to rotate constantly when it is in liquid state, if the rotation stops, then the water becomes ice. However, if there are dissolved substances in the tea, the elements of water can be attracted to minerals. The bonds that water forms with certain minerals are stronger than those that exist between water. Minerals and water molecules form stronger bonds. This strong attraction formed by water molecules and minerals increases the viscosity and surface tension water. In general, due to the strong attraction of these hydrogen bonds, our receptors perceive more taste, and the sensory perception lasts much longer. The presence of minerals also greatly influences the intensity and depth of aroma and taste. The stronger the hydrogen bonds between water and minerals, the slower the volatile matter evaporates, the longer we experience a deep and lasting flavor in the mouth. Now you know that minerals affect the intensity and duration of Hou Yun. For example, the presence of an iron ion gives good taste. In general, Pu-erh that gives a strong Hou Yun is very rich in iron.

We recommend paying attention to the following parameters when choosing Pu-erh:

There are thousands of copies in Yunnan various teas Puer. To understand how to find correct pu-erh, you need to set the criteria. For a store, these criteria are:

Alpine

The height of tea trees is important not only for Pu-erh, but also for any other tea. The higher the tea plantations, the more temperature fluctuations during the day the tea leaf experiences. This allows him to accumulate mass in himself. valuable substances and do not use them during the night (when the temperature drops low enough). The temperature during the daytime can rise to 30°C, and at night it can even drop to 3°C. This is the ideal climate that gives ready drink rich taste and creates a long aftertaste.

Age tea tree:

The older the tree, the more powerful its root system, the more minerals the tree receives from the ground. In Yunnan, tea trees are classified according to age.

• Tea from the tea garden or plantation tea- tea trees arranged in narrow rows to maximize yield per hectare. Most shu pu-erh is made from a tea garden. Tea from the garden has a weaker Hou Yun. Tea made from these plants is considered inferior due to the use of chemical fertilizers and the lack of a pleasant mild flavor. In this tea, you can feel the bitterness and astringency. The use of pesticides is applied only when necessary and depends on the environment, if the plantation is surrounded by forest, then they will not be used, because there are practically no insects. There are organic plantations Lately increased demand for organic tea.

Plantation bushes produce a large amount of tea, thus they meet the needs of mass production.

middle aged tea tree grown on a mountain, about 100-200 years old. Less intensively exploited than plantation gardens. Currently, many plantations are being converted into natural natural gardens. A middle-aged tea tree was artificially planted between native and wild trees. Hou Yun from this category will be much stronger than garden tea. The mineralization of tea here is achieved by the fact that the tree grows in its natural environment, and the leaves of wild plants that have fallen in autumn decompose, which gives additional mineralization. tea leaf. Trees that grow at an altitude of up to 2000 meters have a medium aftertaste, more than 2000 meters strong and deep. The age of trees from this category can reach 100-200 years.

• old trees, such trees are 300 years old or more, as a rule they grow on the slopes of mountains. Tea from this category is considered the best in Yunnan. This tea has an incredibly strong Hou Yun. It is used to prepare high grade Shen Pu-erh. Because such raw materials are limited, the price of such tea is quite high. In our store you can buy tea from such ancient trees.

Tea trees are about 100 to 300 years old.

Due to the limited supply of raw materials from old trees, the availability of high grade tea is very small. If tea is made from a middle-aged tree that has grown on a high mountain, then the quality can be just as good, and the price is lower.

• The wild tree is the last category. This refers to native trees grown deep in the jungle. A wild tea tree does not mean that it is an old tree, there are also young wild trees in the jungle. You have probably seen tea that is labeled "wild tea" 野生茶. Teas from old wild trees, grown without human intervention, are the highest jewel for connoisseurs of Puer tea. These teas are prized for having deeper and more complex flavors, often with a camphor or "minty" aftertaste, because camphor trees grow alongside puerh trees.

Paradoxically, there is more wild tea in the market than there is in Yunnan at all. Let's open the veil, the fact is that many of the Pu-erhs that are on the market are not wild, but ancient trees, for example, abandoned old plantations cultivated by man, which is also an excellent quality tea with great taste. It should be noted that there is also wild tea, it grows at a relatively high altitude of more than 2000 meters, in the southwestern province of Yunnan. Wild tea has a very strong aftertaste and some degree of bitterness. The typical feature of wild tea is not the size of the leaf, but the size of the branch. Since the tree grew in the shade in the jungle, the tree tries to grow higher and higher to get more sunlight. As a result, the stem of wild tea becomes long.

collection frequency.

The market demand for Pu-erh determines the frequency of collection. If tea was plucked very often this year, in next year its quality will be worse.

If we want to get best tea with a strong Hou Yong, it is better to purchase tea from the national minorities. They are not as aggressive in business as the Chinese, who are trying to get more "out" of the limited amount of high mountain tea, which does not contribute to the quality. They tend to produce more leaves from one tree, which does not contribute to the taste of tea, the leaves do not have time to mineralize. The taste of the tea becomes less thick, not to mention the weaker Hou Yun. Ethnic immigrants from Laos, Vietnam, Burma lead a more relaxed lifestyle.

Tea collectors know of six famous mountains that are located on the border of the city of Xishua Banna, which are very popular (they are at the starting point of the Ancient Tea Road). However, these areas are dominated by the Chinese, and the quality of Pu-erh produced from this area today is not very good. It is a very common practice in these tea areas that farmers often cut off the middle part of the tea trees. After this manipulation, the tree begins to produce young shoots that grow upwards very quickly. It grows faster and eventually produces more leaves than older trees that are left unattended. Unfortunately, these crushed or "cut" tea trees cannot produce tea with good Hou Yun. Too many minerals and various substances are consumed by the tree to grow young shoots. As a rule, the slower the tea tree grows, the better taste and the aroma of tea leaves.

A Hani tea picker makes her way through a forest of over 300 year old tea trees. Respect for traditional method harvesting and production (without pesticides) has allowed the ancient traditions to remain the most effective.

Places dominated by minority races have a more natural attitude towards tea trees. They lead a simple self-sufficient lifestyle, they do not need to work hard. It's not their culture to invest in fertilizers and pesticides like the Chinese do. Tea trees are not processed, they grow as they are in their natural environment. In addition, they do not cut them off throughout the year, but only when they need money. As a result, the teas harvested by the minority races are relatively good quality. In our store, teas are handpicked by small nationalities, in our opinion, such tea carries best Traditions Tea Culture.

If a tea tree has been harvested many times a year, it will not produce good quality leaves the next year. If the leaves are plucked once a year in the spring, then the tree has enough time to accumulate useful minerals. If the leaves are often cut off, then the tree has no chance to accumulate minerals.

This problem becomes especially noticeable when tea becomes popular in the market. Back in 2006-2007, Pu-erh tea reached its peak of popularity. The demand for Pu-erh has grown greatly, the farmer did not have time to produce tea, as he was immediately sold at a time. In 2008, tea fell off all year round, therefore 2008 is considered not very good for tea - there is less Hou Yun in tea, therefore, useful substances.

Tea time.

Pu-erh is harvested in spring, summer and autumn. Spring collection is the best in quality. Leaves, harvested in autumn, as a rule, surpass the summer collection.

The soil.

Red soil with iron oxide is very suitable for growing high grade tea. Yunnan Province is very rich in iron, but there are areas that are the most enriched in it. Areas such as Bu Lan Shan and Lao Pang Zang deserve special mention as the tea produced in these areas is of excellent quality.

Weather.

SushuangBanna is located in the south of Yunnan Province. This state clashes with Laos and Vietnam. If you visit there, you are unlikely to have the idea that this is China. Culture, food, language and weather are the same as in Southeast Asia. Just like in winemaking, the quality depends on the year of harvest. original product, the same thing happens with Puer.

Green and oolong teas are best drunk throughout the year as they lose their quality over time. As for Pu-erh, we can keep it as long as we want. Therefore, it makes sense to know which year is the "quality year" so that you can purchase and stock more tea which was produced in good year. In general, we believe that if you like Pu-erh, you need to store it for future use, because there may not be more such tea.

For example, the XishuangBanna area was hit by a severe drought in 2010. The total amount of tea produced this year has decreased by 1/3 of production. Subsequently, the price of tea increased.

We prefer to purchase and drink Pu-erh from private factories or farmers who produce tea on a small scale using traditional methods. Farmers and private factories rarely mix raw materials from different areas. If you want to choose the right Pu-erh, you have to look at the origin of the raw material. Only private factories and farmers can supply tea from homogeneous raw materials. We call this tea "Pure Taste". We do not pursue brands, but we also have them in our collection so that you have the opportunity to compare tea from different manufacturers.

Factories have a large number of employees, large plantations and they need to pay production costs. Some factories have plantations of old trees at high altitude, however, they often equalize the quality and mix raw materials, do not sort according to exact origin tree or mountain. Large factories take care of maintaining a stable quality of tea. Their mission is to sell in bulk to survive. Certainly you can get high quality tea from the factory, but it's hard to get really top quality.

Storage and fermentation of Pu-erh tea.

If Puer has a taste dried squid or mold, it has not been properly stored. We have heard more than once that someone did not like Puer tea because of the specific moldy aroma or fishy taste. It is clear that people have been traumatized by drinking low-grade tea that was obviously produced, mishandled, or stored improperly. You can learn how to properly store Pu-erh tea here.

Pu-erh, which gives off a moldy flavor, is not only unpleasant to drink, but it is even dangerous to consume it for health. Perhaps the wrong fermentation was carried out, and therefore the wrong forms of microorganisms were cultivated. We will be honest and say that tea has a risk of being contaminated with mold toxins - mycotoxins! Some shu pu-erhs have a fishy or earthy flavor. This smell is due to bacterial contamination that is caused by improper fermentation method. If our body does not like some smell, then it simply does not need it.

Good Shu Puer has mild taste dried fruits, dark chocolate, nuts has the aroma of a forest or an old tree, in general, it depends on the fermentation technology. We can find great joy in communicating with Puer, discovering various varieties different ages. In reality, only tea from Yunnan can give pleasure from communication with tea collected from old trees. The taste and aroma of the tea, not to mention Hou Yun, perfectly reflects the long history of Puer, its environment and the people who produce this tea. In a way, Puer represents the history, culture, weather, and land of Yunnan.

Puer- famous noble tea which is produced exclusively in China. This is one of those drinks that every tea drinker should definitely try at least once in their life. If you decide to taste Pu-erh tea, the effect of it may be a little unexpected - this drink is famous for its intoxicating effect. What causes it and how does it affect the body?

What is puerh tea

Pu-erh refers to post-fermented types of tea. This means that it is not produced in the same way as other varieties. After assembly, the leaves are subjected to approximately the same processing as green tea. But fermentation is done last. Moreover, it can be both artificial and natural.

Pu-erh tea can be found in several forms of pressing:

• cake;
• bowl;
• brick;
• square;
• mushroom;
• pumpkin.

Pu-erh tea is the best and most unusual drink known today. One of his interesting features The fact is that the taste only improves with time. While other varieties deteriorate. This drink can be compared with good cognac long exposure. But there is another interesting nuance - the famous effect of pu-erh tea.

effect of pu-erh tea

First of all, the effect of pu-erh tea is manifested in an emotional way. It has been shown to relieve stress and tension. If a person is loaded with problems, it becomes easier for him to solve them. The mood improves. Many note the joy that appears spontaneously. This is the same effect of intoxication.

It is important! It affects not only the mood, but also the body. Breathing evens out, becomes deeper. Stress and stiffness go away, muscle tension subsides.

But the effect of pu-erh tea is manifested not only in a one-time effect on the body and soul. With prolonged use, it affects the body as a whole:

• helps to digest heavy and fatty foods and facilitates the work of the digestive tract;
• strengthens the cardiovascular system;
• thins the blood and helps to get rid of cholesterol plaques that accumulate in the vessels;
• Helps cleanse the body of toxins and toxins. Some drinkers take off pu-erh hangover syndrome, and note that the tool is very effective;
• speeds up metabolic processes. This effect of pu-erh tea is used by many for weight loss;
• acts as a preventative oncological diseases, so common today;
• helps relieve spasms and relieves headaches;
• renders good help with constipation, stimulating the work of the intestines;
• perfectly tones and invigorates. Puer is the most invigorating drink, and in terms of the effectiveness of exposure, one cup of it can be compared with a synthetic energy drink. And if you drink it constantly, a person becomes energetic, easy-going, cheerful. At the same time, the older the tea leaves, the stronger the effect will be. For this reason, it is not recommended to drink the drink in the afternoon. This can cause sleep problems or even insomnia;
• promotes skin rejuvenation due to the large amount of antioxidants contained in it;
• improves concentration and memory;
• strengthens the body as a whole.

It is important! Some gourmets prefer to drink the drink exclusively with milk. He has enough unusual taste and it is very useful, since the properties of tea are also added useful action milk.

It is believed that such tea can be drunk even with exacerbation of diseases. gastrointestinal tract or inflammatory processes in the body. But this only applies to warm tea. Hot drink can do harm. In addition, there will be no benefit from tea if it is not prepared correctly.

How to brew a drink

To action the drink was fully manifested, and you could feel the famous effect of pu-erh tea, it must be brewed correctly. Pu-erh is ready to drink only after three years of aging, but its taste can be further improved if stored for 10-15 years or longer.

The effect of tea depends on the method of brewing. In addition, for the process to go smoothly, you need to pay attention to some of its components:

• water temperature. The temperature should be selected depending on the fermentation. Different varieties differ in the degree of fermentation. For example, shu pu-erh is a heavily fermented tea, and therefore boiling water at 90-95 ° C is required to brew it. If you are going to brew sheng pu-erh, a weaker tea, then the water should not exceed 90-95°C. The temperature also depends on the aging time of tea - the older the tea leaves, the more heat needed;
• water quality. For brewing any tea, not just pu-erh, it is recommended to use only purified water. Boiled water not very suitable for this purpose - it does not contain any useful substances. In addition, it spoils the taste of the drink. Therefore, spring water or bottled water, which can be bought at any store, is ideal.

It is important! Some people simply pour boiling water over the tea leaves, but this approach is completely wrong with regard to pu-erh. Wherein the right process preparation is absolutely uncomplicated.

As for the amount of tea leaves, it should be taken 1 small spoon per person or 150-200 ml of water. It is easy to separate as much as needed from pressed pu-erh using a special or ordinary knife, as well as hands.

Pu-erh is brewed in a clay teapot or gaiwan. Before adding tea inside, rinse the teapot with boiling water to warm it up well. To enhance the aesthetic pleasure of preparing a drink and drinking tea, shake the kettle a couple of times and, opening the lid, enjoy unforgettable aroma dry tea leaf.

It is recommended to pre-wash the tea leaves to remove dust. This will also separate the leaves from each other a bit if you are using pressed puerh. Rinse the tea leaves for about 10 seconds, after which the water must be poured out. If you are using heavily fermented pu-erh, it is best to rinse it twice.

It is important! Water for brewing must be of a special temperature. Use freshly boiled water, as repeated boiling it impairs the aroma and taste of the drink.

Add water to the kettle and steep for 8-10 seconds. After this time, the infusion is immediately poured into a chahai - a special container. Tea must be drained to the end, otherwise it will continue to infuse, and after the second brewing it will be too strong.

From chahai, the infusion can be poured into cups. Drink it slowly, in small sips, enjoying the taste and aroma.

The time of the second and subsequent brews should increase. And every time taste properties drinks will be different. Puer connoisseurs claim that it can be brewed about 10 times, especially if it is of high quality.

Puerh tea, the effect of which you will feel on yourself, does not do any harm to the body if it is properly brewed and not consumed too much. Therefore, follow the instructions for its preparation, and enjoy your tea!