Chinese Dark Tea --- Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh(Puer, Po Lei or Bolay) is a variety of post-fermented tea produced in Yunnan province, China. Post-fermentation is a tea production style in which the tealeaves undergo a microbial fermentation process after they are dried and rolled. This is a Chinese specialty and is sometimes referred to as dark tea. There are a few different provinces, each with a few regions, producing dark teas of different varieties. Those produced in Yunnan are generally named Pu'er, referring to the name of Pu'er county which used to be a trading post for dark tea during imperial China.

Pu'er is available as loose leaf or in various compressed forms. There is also the differentiation of raw (green,生sheng) and ripened (cooked 熟shou) types. The shou type refers to those varieties that have gone through a proper post-fermentation process,while the sheng types are those in the process of gradual darkening through exposure to the environmental elements. Certain selections from either type can be stored for maturity before consumption.That is why some are labelled with year and region of production.

More Information

Ancient Pu-erh tea tree and tea leaves

Raw Pu-erh Tea

Ripe Pu-erh Tea