Clarify the purpose of buying Puer Tea
Ask yourself several questions before buying.
First, why do you want to buy Pu-erh tea? For drinking, collecting or decoration?
Most people prefer to drink processed tea, as it can be enjoyed straightaway. But it takes time to discover what works for you. Tea is a romantic drink. Tea lovers look for good taste but are likely to be cheated when buying tea. The tea may look good but may not live up to the expectations after brewing. Identifying good tea takes time and is an intrinsic part of the pleasure of tea. Right attitude is very important. Taste the tea before buying. Pay attention to the endurance of the tea and the color and taste of the tea liquid and your physical reaction after drinking it.
Collecting Pu-erh tea to make profit might not be a rational idea at all for inexperienced collectors. The selection itself involves many considerations. Besides quality, there are other considerations too, such as the available stock, market opinion, public recognition of the tea, etc.
If you want to store for drinking later, after the tea is fermented and the mellowness comes out, you need to pay attention to the raw materials and techniques affecting the fermentation of the tea.
For ornamentation, pay attention to its appearance, shape and color and historical significance.
Second, what kind of taste do you like? What is your type of Pu-erh tea?
Would you choose raw tea, processed tea, tea of tender sprouts or of old coarse leaves?
There is a big difference between raw tea and processed tea and its types. For example, tender shoots are soft and sweet, old coarse leaves are mellow, first and second batches of spring tea are less bitter than summer tea. Other differences arise from different fermentation seasons, different producers, different preservation periods or production years, etc.
Select the tea that makes you feel good. Some people have obvious adverse reactions to raw tea, such as digestive disorder, sleeplessness, excessive hunger pangs, and palpitation. Comparatively speaking, processed tea is less agitating though some may find it keeps sleep away.
Third, what is your budget?
Differences in the quality of tea result in a price range variation—ranging from less than one hundred to several thousand yuan. The single key factor distinguishing between kinds of tea is their price. From 20-30 yuan to several thousand to even several hundred thousand yuan a cake, different types of Pu-erh tea find their buyers on the market.
Decide on a price range within your budget, and then you can begin looking for the tea of your choice.
First, why do you want to buy Pu-erh tea? For drinking, collecting or decoration?
Most people prefer to drink processed tea, as it can be enjoyed straightaway. But it takes time to discover what works for you. Tea is a romantic drink. Tea lovers look for good taste but are likely to be cheated when buying tea. The tea may look good but may not live up to the expectations after brewing. Identifying good tea takes time and is an intrinsic part of the pleasure of tea. Right attitude is very important. Taste the tea before buying. Pay attention to the endurance of the tea and the color and taste of the tea liquid and your physical reaction after drinking it.
Collecting Pu-erh tea to make profit might not be a rational idea at all for inexperienced collectors. The selection itself involves many considerations. Besides quality, there are other considerations too, such as the available stock, market opinion, public recognition of the tea, etc.
If you want to store for drinking later, after the tea is fermented and the mellowness comes out, you need to pay attention to the raw materials and techniques affecting the fermentation of the tea.
For ornamentation, pay attention to its appearance, shape and color and historical significance.
Second, what kind of taste do you like? What is your type of Pu-erh tea?
Would you choose raw tea, processed tea, tea of tender sprouts or of old coarse leaves?
There is a big difference between raw tea and processed tea and its types. For example, tender shoots are soft and sweet, old coarse leaves are mellow, first and second batches of spring tea are less bitter than summer tea. Other differences arise from different fermentation seasons, different producers, different preservation periods or production years, etc.
Select the tea that makes you feel good. Some people have obvious adverse reactions to raw tea, such as digestive disorder, sleeplessness, excessive hunger pangs, and palpitation. Comparatively speaking, processed tea is less agitating though some may find it keeps sleep away.
Third, what is your budget?
Differences in the quality of tea result in a price range variation—ranging from less than one hundred to several thousand yuan. The single key factor distinguishing between kinds of tea is their price. From 20-30 yuan to several thousand to even several hundred thousand yuan a cake, different types of Pu-erh tea find their buyers on the market.
Decide on a price range within your budget, and then you can begin looking for the tea of your choice.
How to select Pu-erh tea
Selecting Pu-erh tea is no different from selecting other kinds of tea. Keep the following steps in mind.
Examine dry tea
Examining the dry tea is the first step to determine the quality of the leaves.
Tea products are graded according to the tenderness of the sun-¬baked green crude tea. The more tender it is, the higher it is graded. Judge the tenderness from three aspects. First, the quantity of sprouts. Tea from multiple shoots with visible tea hair is more tender. Second, the striations (i.e. how compactly are the leaves rolled). The tighter and more solid the striations, the more tender the leaves. Third, the color and shine of the leaves. The brighter and glossier, the more tender will be the leaves. High-grade loose Pu-erh tea (processed tea) appears brownish-red (or deep brown), glossy with golden hair and the striations are compact and solid.
High-grade raw Pu-erh tea cake: Dark green in color with part in dark yellow. The striations are distinct, fleshy and compact with the fragrance of green tea.
High-grade processed Pu-erh lea cake: Brownish-red. The striations are tender, fleshy and compact. Quality processed tea is fragrant. If the cake smells strange and moldy, don't buy it.
Pu-erh tea in the process of natural fermentation: The color varies from dark green to brownish-red. The striations are tender, fleshy and compact.
Examine the color of the tea liquid
The color of the tea liquid is an important index of the quality.
Color of raw tea liquid: Yellowish-green or golden.
Color of processed tea liquid: Brownish-red and bright. If the liquid is scarlet, the tea is of high quality. Dark red is the normal color, while fight or dark yellow or orange is abnormal. Cloudy color indicates bad quality.
Quality processed tea has little sediment and the water is bright and red. Ordinary tea has some sediment, such as broken leaves at the bottom. But if there are too many impurities in the liquid after the tea is kept for some time, beware.
Color of naturally fermented Pu-erh tea liquid: Tea liquid colors vary according to their age. Pu-erh tea of the current year is dose to that of green tea-fresh and natural. Tea fermented for 3-5 years is apricot yellow or light red whereas tea fermented for 8-10 years is red. Very similar to artificially fermented tea.
Inhale the fragrance
Fragrance of processed tea: Various chemical substances reacting under the action of microbes and enzymes during post-fermentation give the tea its fragrance. Fragrance may be of date, camphorwood, longan and betel nut.
It is hard for novice tea drinkers to differentiate between mellow fragrance and moldy smell. The mellow fragrance of Pu-erh tea does not irritate the nose but is refreshing, mild and comforting, while moldy smell is irritating, impure and repellant. Similar to Tieguanyin of Oolong tea and the rock tea in Wuyi Mountain—both having their unique fragrance—the processed Pu-erh tea (including the completely fermented tea through natural fermentation) has an irresistible mellow fragrance in tea sets.
Fragrance of the raw tea: Raw tea smells of the sun, honey, dates, camphorwood or simple freshness.
Fragrance of the naturally fermented Pu-erh tea: The fragrant substance. In the Pu-erh tea changes during natural fermentation.
Appreciate the taste
Pu-erh tea is described as "mellow." "smooth" and with "sweet aftertaste."
Mellow is when the taste is strong, refreshing, slightly sweet, but not very fresh or irritating.
High-grade Pu-erh tea will not dry or irritate the mouth and throat Smoothness is the indication of good pile fermentation technology and is an indispensable feature of quality Pu-erh tea.
Sweet aftertaste refers to the lingering sweetness in the mouth and the whole digestive system during or hours after its appreciation. The sweet aftertaste of Pu-erh tea is different from that of Oolong tea. Oolong tea is strong, so is its sweet aftertaste, while Pu-erh tea is mellow, and its sweet aftertaste is also mystically light, soothing and relaxing.
Taste of raw tea: Strong and irritating. The fragrance is changeable with layers. The raw tea with a sweet aftertaste is better. With high heat, the fragrance is sweet and light, and slightly astringent.
Taste of processed tea: Mild, smooth and refined. Its aftertaste is sweet and rich, and its smell mellow in British tea cups.
Taste of naturally fermented Pu-erh tea: Variable, depending upon the length of fermentation. The tea during fermentation has the taste of both raw tea and processed tea. Completely fermented old tea is J similar in taste to processed tea, but milder and fresher.
Examine brewed leaves
To a great extent, brewed leaves reveal the secret of the raw material and the processing technique of the tea.
Brewed leaves of raw tea: Yellowish-green and bright, broken or unbroken, tough and glossy. The tea whose brewed leaves break easily when being twisted and is dark is of inferior quality.
Brewed leaves of processed tea: Dark reddish-brown. Unbroken leaves mean better quality.
Brewed leaves of naturally fermented Pu-erh tea. Unique, especially those naturally fermented leaves of the ancient wild arbor trees. The stems and veins are clear and tough.
Examine dry tea
Examining the dry tea is the first step to determine the quality of the leaves.
Tea products are graded according to the tenderness of the sun-¬baked green crude tea. The more tender it is, the higher it is graded. Judge the tenderness from three aspects. First, the quantity of sprouts. Tea from multiple shoots with visible tea hair is more tender. Second, the striations (i.e. how compactly are the leaves rolled). The tighter and more solid the striations, the more tender the leaves. Third, the color and shine of the leaves. The brighter and glossier, the more tender will be the leaves. High-grade loose Pu-erh tea (processed tea) appears brownish-red (or deep brown), glossy with golden hair and the striations are compact and solid.
High-grade raw Pu-erh tea cake: Dark green in color with part in dark yellow. The striations are distinct, fleshy and compact with the fragrance of green tea.
High-grade processed Pu-erh lea cake: Brownish-red. The striations are tender, fleshy and compact. Quality processed tea is fragrant. If the cake smells strange and moldy, don't buy it.
Pu-erh tea in the process of natural fermentation: The color varies from dark green to brownish-red. The striations are tender, fleshy and compact.
Examine the color of the tea liquid
The color of the tea liquid is an important index of the quality.
Color of raw tea liquid: Yellowish-green or golden.
Color of processed tea liquid: Brownish-red and bright. If the liquid is scarlet, the tea is of high quality. Dark red is the normal color, while fight or dark yellow or orange is abnormal. Cloudy color indicates bad quality.
Quality processed tea has little sediment and the water is bright and red. Ordinary tea has some sediment, such as broken leaves at the bottom. But if there are too many impurities in the liquid after the tea is kept for some time, beware.
Color of naturally fermented Pu-erh tea liquid: Tea liquid colors vary according to their age. Pu-erh tea of the current year is dose to that of green tea-fresh and natural. Tea fermented for 3-5 years is apricot yellow or light red whereas tea fermented for 8-10 years is red. Very similar to artificially fermented tea.
Inhale the fragrance
Fragrance of processed tea: Various chemical substances reacting under the action of microbes and enzymes during post-fermentation give the tea its fragrance. Fragrance may be of date, camphorwood, longan and betel nut.
It is hard for novice tea drinkers to differentiate between mellow fragrance and moldy smell. The mellow fragrance of Pu-erh tea does not irritate the nose but is refreshing, mild and comforting, while moldy smell is irritating, impure and repellant. Similar to Tieguanyin of Oolong tea and the rock tea in Wuyi Mountain—both having their unique fragrance—the processed Pu-erh tea (including the completely fermented tea through natural fermentation) has an irresistible mellow fragrance in tea sets.
Fragrance of the raw tea: Raw tea smells of the sun, honey, dates, camphorwood or simple freshness.
Fragrance of the naturally fermented Pu-erh tea: The fragrant substance. In the Pu-erh tea changes during natural fermentation.
Appreciate the taste
Pu-erh tea is described as "mellow." "smooth" and with "sweet aftertaste."
Mellow is when the taste is strong, refreshing, slightly sweet, but not very fresh or irritating.
High-grade Pu-erh tea will not dry or irritate the mouth and throat Smoothness is the indication of good pile fermentation technology and is an indispensable feature of quality Pu-erh tea.
Sweet aftertaste refers to the lingering sweetness in the mouth and the whole digestive system during or hours after its appreciation. The sweet aftertaste of Pu-erh tea is different from that of Oolong tea. Oolong tea is strong, so is its sweet aftertaste, while Pu-erh tea is mellow, and its sweet aftertaste is also mystically light, soothing and relaxing.
Taste of raw tea: Strong and irritating. The fragrance is changeable with layers. The raw tea with a sweet aftertaste is better. With high heat, the fragrance is sweet and light, and slightly astringent.
Taste of processed tea: Mild, smooth and refined. Its aftertaste is sweet and rich, and its smell mellow in British tea cups.
Taste of naturally fermented Pu-erh tea: Variable, depending upon the length of fermentation. The tea during fermentation has the taste of both raw tea and processed tea. Completely fermented old tea is J similar in taste to processed tea, but milder and fresher.
Examine brewed leaves
To a great extent, brewed leaves reveal the secret of the raw material and the processing technique of the tea.
Brewed leaves of raw tea: Yellowish-green and bright, broken or unbroken, tough and glossy. The tea whose brewed leaves break easily when being twisted and is dark is of inferior quality.
Brewed leaves of processed tea: Dark reddish-brown. Unbroken leaves mean better quality.
Brewed leaves of naturally fermented Pu-erh tea. Unique, especially those naturally fermented leaves of the ancient wild arbor trees. The stems and veins are clear and tough.