Puerh tea represents a variety of tea grown in the Pu'er County from the Chinese province Yunnan. Raw or green (sheng pu-erh ) and ripened or cooked (shou pu-erh) are available. One of the main characteristics of Pu-erh tea is that it can be brewed right away or aged for a long period of time. Regarding the aged Pu-erh, there are many counterfeits, so buying from a reliable retailer is very important.

The availability of Puerh tea also depends on its age. Fresh Puerh tea is usually presented as loose leaves, while the aged tea comes in cakes of compressed tea, which are also known as tea bricks, touchas, as well as other shapes. Tea cakes made from Puerh tea aged for 10 to 50 years may be found, and with a bit of luck, even bricks from the beginning of the 20th century. However, you must keep in mind that the price of such a tea cake can exceed several thousands of dollars.

A Pu-erh knife is necessary for taking the flakes of tea off the cake. As an alternative, the whole cake can be steamed until the heat and moisture soften it enough for you to take a bit. Puerh is best served in Yixing teaware or in gaiwans. The temperature of the water must range between 85 and 89 degrees Celsius for the ripened/aged Pu-erh. For leaves of a lower quality, a temperature of around 95 degrees Celsius is optimal. The leaves should be infused for 12 to 30 seconds if they haven't been used before. Steeping times vary between 2 and 10 minutes for leaves that are infused for the last time. If the leaves are brewed for too long, the resulting tea liquor is not only dark, but it also has a bitter, unpleasant taste.

Basically, the taste of the Pu-erh tea depends very much both on the region where it has been grown, as well as on the processing method. Aged Pu-erh, for example, has a mellow, earthy and sweet taste and the color of a burnt orange. The complexity of the flavor increases with the age of the leaves, and the flavor becomes similar to the sweet plums. Fresh tea leaves produce a golden yellow brew that is similar in taste with green tea.

Pu-erh tea is believed to be unique in terms of health benefits. Some of its possible effects include blood cholesterol reduction and weight loss. Cholesterol is not only removed from the blood, but its synthesis is also stopped. Weight loss is said to be achieved due to the high tannin content of the tea. In the traditional Chinese medicine, Pu-erh tea is also recommended as a treatment for hangovers, and moreover, it is presumed to stimulate the spleen. Antimutagenic and antimicrobial effects are also among the potential health benefits of this variety of tea. (These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.)