Pu-erh (also spelt pu'er) is one of the most fascinating teas in the world. It's a fermented tea from Yunnan in south-west China, often pressed into cakes or bricks, and unlike most teas it can get better with age. For centuries it was traded, taxed and even used as money. Today, it's simply a wonderful, earthy brew.
Where pu-erh comes from
Yunnan is one of the places where tea is thought to have first grown, and ancient tea trees still grow wild in its mountains. Pu-erh is made from the large leaves of the Assamica variety of the tea plant, and takes its name from the town of Pu'er, where it was traded.
Like Champagne, pu-erh is protected: in China, only tea made in Yunnan in the traditional way can be sold as pu-erh.
The Tea Horse Road
For over a thousand years, tea from Yunnan was carried to Tibet and beyond along the Tea Horse Road, a network of mountain trails where merchants traded tea for Tibetan horses. The tea was pressed into bricks and cakes to make it easier to carry, and during the long journey through changing weather, it slowly aged and fermented. The flavour grew richer and smoother, and pu-erh as we know it was born.
Along the route, tea bricks became a kind of currency. In Tibet, tea was boiled and churned with salt and yak butter to make butter tea, a tradition that continues today.
Raw and ripe pu-erh
There are two main types of pu-erh:
- Raw (sheng) pu-erh is made much like green tea: picked, lightly heated, sun-dried and pressed into cakes. It's then left to age slowly, sometimes for decades. Young raw pu-erh tastes fresh and slightly astringent, and it becomes deeper and sweeter with age. That's why it's sometimes called "a drinkable antique".
- Ripe (shou) pu-erh goes through a faster, controlled fermentation that takes around 45 to 60 days, developed in Yunnan in the 1970s. It's dark, smooth and earthy, and ready to drink straight away.
Pu-erh cakes are often wrapped in paper printed with the tea's origin, the factory and the year, and aged cakes are prized by collectors.
How to brew pu-erh
Gongfu style (the traditional way):
- Break off about 5–8g of tea from the cake with a tea knife or pick. For loose pu-erh, use a heaped teaspoon or two.
- Put it in a small teapot or gaiwan and pour over freshly boiled water, then pour it straight away. Do this once or twice to rinse the leaves and help them open up.
- Refill with about 150ml of boiling water and brew for 10–30 seconds, then pour it all out.
- Keep going: pu-erh can be brewed many times. Add a few seconds to each brew as the flavour develops.
In a mug: use about a teaspoon of tea in a mug of boiling water, and brew for 3–5 minutes. Ripe pu-erh can take a splash of milk; raw pu-erh is best on its own.
Pu-erh and food
In China, pu-erh is traditionally drunk with or after rich, heavy meals such as dumplings and noodles. Its earthy flavour also goes well with cakes and biscuits. For a British twist, try it in a tea loaf made with cold tea.
Is pu-erh good for you?
Pu-erh has been studied for its effects on cholesterol and weight, but most of the research so far has been in animals or in the lab, so there's no firm evidence for people yet. What we can say is that it's a delicious, low-calorie drink, and ripe pu-erh is lovely after a big meal. For more on tea and health, see our guide to the health benefits of drinking tea.
Like a good wine, pu-erh can improve with age. If you don't love it now, you might in a few years' time.
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