We all know that there are many health benefits associated with drinking tea. Since all tea comes from the same tea plant, no matter which kind you choose to drink, green, black, white, or oolong, you will reap many of tea’s health benefits. However, there is one kind of tea, which is not only as rich in antioxidants as other teas but also contains probiotic qualities. It is called Pu-erh tea.

Pu-erh tea undergoes a special fermentation technique and is left to age for many years, which results in a unique tea flavor with probiotic properties.  It’s these qualities that give Pu-erh tea the health benefits that make it stand out from other types of tea.

Pu-erh Tea and Its Origins

Pu-erh tea got its name after the Pu-erh county in Yunnan province, China where it is actually grown. Its origins can be traced as early as the Han Dynasty. It wasn’t until the Tang Dynasty that the Pu-erh tea trade began.

Like other tea varieties, Pu-erh comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. It has a golden yellow to brownish color, with a sweet, earthy, mellow taste. The taste of this tea gets better with age due to microbial substances that cause it to ferment.  However, it’s the processing methods that make this kind of tea unlike any other tea.

Fermentation or The Science Behind Pu-erh Tea

Pu-erh tea leaves are dark in color and look quite similar to black tea. However, their processing methods are completely different. Black tea is a result of oxidation, while Pu-erh tea undergoes fermentation.

In order to understand the complexity behind the sophisticated flavor of Pu-erh tea, let’s compare the processing methods used with black and pu-erh tea.

Black tea gets its dark color through oxidation. After being picked, black tea is allowed to fully oxidize before it is roasted. During oxidation the polyphenols from tea leaves react with oxygen from the environment, causing the leaves to turn dark.  Oxidation is a completely natural chemical reaction that occurs when any fruit or vegetable is exposed to oxygen. Oxidation causes them to turn dark and eventually rot if left exposed for longer intervals.

 Pu-erh tea on the other hand is a result of fermentation, which is caused by microbial activity, with or without oxidation. It’s this microbial activity that causes changes within the tea leaves and gives Pu-erh tea its unique flavor and color.

Pu-erh Tea Varieties

What makes Pu-erh tea so unique is that two kinds of fermentation are used to create two distinct varieties of Pu-erh tea: the raw (sheng pu-erh 生普) and the cooked (shu pu-erh 熟普). Each of them has a very unique and distinct flavor.

Sheng Pu or Natural Fermentation

Sheng pu undergoes a slow, almost natural fermentation. After being picked, the green tea leaves are left to wither and are then lightly roasted to stop oxidation. Then they are steamed and compressed into tea cakes, which makes them easy to store and transport.

The cake compression induces microbial activity within the leaves. The humidity typical for Yunnan and generally South China further causes the microbes to break down the molecular compounds of the tea leaves over the course of time. This process fundamentally transforms the flavor of Sheng Pu-erh tea into something unlike any other variety.

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The tea cakes are left to age for many years. In fact, the longer they age, the better quality the tea becomes. A good quality Sheng Pu-erh tea can be aged up to 50 years.

The aging processes cause the tea leaves to gradually lose their tannins, giving the tea its savory, astringent flavor. The aged tea develops an extraordinary and sophisticated flavor.

Its pleasant, mellow taste make Sheng Pu-erh tea one of the most valued teas among tea connoisseurs. 

Shu Pu or “The Cooked Tea” Fermentation

The second type of fermentation associated with Pu-erh tea is induced by bacterial culture.

Called Shu pu, this variety of Pu-erh tea resulted from the need to keep up with the growing demand for this unique flavor of tea.

In order to speed up the process of production and shorten the number of years it takes for a good quality Sheng Pu to age, some tea factories came up with an alternative fermentation process called “cooked tea processing”.

After the leaves are picked and withered they are mixed with a starter culture of bacteria from the previous batch. This is done to replicate the growth of bacteria created during the natural fermentation process of Sheng Pu. Then the tea is left to fully oxidize for about 30-40 days in a humid environment.

Throughout the fermentation process the pile of leaves is covered and regularly stirred.  The whole process is performed in a carefully monitored environment.

At the end of the fermentation process, Shu pu is packed in tea cakes or blocks for easy storage or transport.

Flavor

Pu-erh tea has a delicate flavor. Differences in storage conditions, harvest date, region, temperatures as well as the levels of humidity can produce diverse layers of flavor.

Its flavor is often described as earthy, sweet, mellow, floral, nutty, sour and astringent.

With tasting notes of scotch, woodsmoke, dried nuts, and berries, Pu-erh tea flavor can be a very robust one that pairs well with hearty food.

Bear in mind that Pu-erh tea flavor changes over time. Young Pu-erh contains higher levels of tannins, which give it an astringent taste which fades away over the course of time.

Don’t throw away a Pu-erh cake if you don’t like it when you first try it. It’s probably still young. Leave it to age, and try it again after a few years.

Caffeine

Raw Pu-erh tea contains high amounts of caffeine compared to other tea varieties –  about 60 to 70 milligrams compared to 105 in a standard cup of coffee.

As it is left to age, the caffeine content gradually fades. Aged Pu-erh contains very small traces of caffeine and is safe to drink any time of the day.

Cooked Pu-erh on the other hand is high in caffeine. Though the cooked tea is a quick alternative to the Sheng pu’s fermentation that comes with aging, it barely affects its caffeine levels. That’s why Shu-pu is considered high in caffeine.

The caffeinated version of Pu-erh is best consumed in the morning. The caffeine will increase your energy level and help you maintain focus.

Avoid drinking Pu-erh in the late afternoons and at night, as the caffeine content can affect sleep.

Pu-erh Tea Health Benefits:  Aids Digestion and Weight Loss

Since Pu-erh tea also comes from the tea plant Camellia Sinensis, it naturally inherits all the health benefits that come with drinking tea.

However, Pu-erh tea has one additional quality that makes it especially beneficial for health.

The fact that it is fermented makes Pu-erh tea a healthy probiotic. By drinking it on a daily basis, we introduce beneficial bacteria to our gut. This in turn aids digestion, helps to regulate blood sugar levels, and helps us strengthen our overall health.

Drinking a fermented Pu-erh tea has similar benefit to our health as drinking kombucha.

Kombucha is made of black tea which ferments with the addition of a bacteria culture (SCOBY). Pu-erh tea on the other hand develops these beneficial bacteria naturally from its leaves, which helps it ferment over time.

There are limited research claims that support the fact that Pu-erh tea aids weight loss. Studies in rats have shown that Pu-erh helps the body process cholesterol better. Also, it can help eliminate excess grease and other fats that are hard to digest, which directly supports the weight loss management process. 

As is the case with other teas, Pu’erh should be drunk about 30 to 60 minutes after a meal for optimal health benefits. If you drink Pu-erh tea during or too soon after a meal, it might absorb the necessary nutrients and make you feel hungrier.  These practices can make drinking tea a detriment to weight loss.

However, there is no research that claims that you can lose weight only by drinking Pu-erh or other kinds of tea. Drinking tea is rather a healthy habit and a good replacement for sugary drinks. Drinking tea when combined with exercise and healthy diet gives the best results when it comes to weight loss.

Storage

Pu-erh tea generally comes in tea cakes, though it can also be available as a loose-leaf tea.

Many other tea varieties are stored in airtight containers to prevent oxidation. This isn’t the case with Pu-erh tea, because it contains microbes that help it ferment. When storing Pu-erh, air circulation is essential to facilitate its natural fermentation processes.

That is why the tea cakes are usually wrapped in bamboo papers; to allow air flow.

Pu-erh tea should be stored at a room temperature. Too humid or too dry places aren’t suitable for storing Pu-erh.  Also, you shouldn’t mix the two varieties together, or even store them near spices or strong odors, as they can absorb flavors. It is best to keep it in sealed plastic bags.

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Best Black tea Types: Chinese vs Indian Black Tea

How to Drink Green Tea for Weight Loss

How to Drink Pu-erh Tea

When it comes to drinking Pu-erh tea, you can either choose to steep it in a tea kettle or the Chinese style “gaiwan” – a small bowl (150-200 ml) that comes with a lid and it is especially used for steeping tea in China.

Watch how steeping is done from a gaiwan in the traditional Chinese way:

Depending on the tea and how strong do you like its flavor to be, use about 5-8 grams of tea for 200ml water.

Place the tea leaves into tea infuser, and then into the kettle.

The water quality can drastically affect the flavor of tea. So always use fresh, purified water.

Remember that the first step is to rinse your tea, to “awaken” the tea leaves which have been compressed into cakes. Boil the water, pour it over the tea leaves, and after about a minute, discard it.

When steeping raw Pu-erh for a soft flavor it is better to wait a few minutes after the water has boiled. This will avoid astringency caused by the release of too many tannins.

Unless you are drinking aged sheng Pu-erh, both the raw and the ripe Pu-erh teas are rich in caffeine. Steep it for about 1-3 minutes and taste every 30 seconds to make sure the flavor isn’t too strong.

Read Next:

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8 Best Green Teas for People Who Don’t Like Green Tea 

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