Like all tea, pu erh comes from the same plant, but, it is processed in such a different way, it falls into a category of its own.
It is not a green tea, an oolong, or black tea...although it comes closest to resembling black.
Darjeeling is known as the champagne of tea, so I would like to say that pu erh should be classified as the "wine of tea".
This is because pu erh tea is the only tea that gets better with age. It is not uncommon for folks to spend thousands of dollars for 50-year-old aged pu erh! If green tea were this old, well, forget it! It would be drier than desert sand and taste extremely bitter!
The tea is named after the region that it is grown in, a small town in the Yunnan Province of China, and is plucked from a broad-leafed variety of Camellia sinensis.
The taste of pu erh tea is very strong and earthy, and some folks describe it as smelling like wet hay. The color is a very dark red, almost brown liquor.
Please do not let that turn you off or discourage your decision in trying some, it is not awful tasting, nor does it smell horrible. It is a special tea with unique characteristics that many tea drinkers enjoy!
When I brewed my first cup one Saturday morning, I was confused whether or not to add milk as I sometimes normally do with black tea, and after checking up on some reviews, I decided to leave it out. The taste was strong, earthy, and smooth, and I knew it would take only a few cups for me to open up to it.
Pu erh tea also offers some unique health benefits as well.
Studies show that this tea is good at aiding in digestion as well as lowering cholesterol. It is a great beverage to enjoy after a heavy fatty meal.
Brewing this tea is the same like brewing black or oolong tea. Add boiling water to the leaves and let steep for about 4 to 5 minutes. If the taste is overwhelming in the beginning, adding a teaspoon of sugar helps reduce the stronger notes.
