|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The oldest tea plant known to us today is a 3500 year old puer tree growing in the Yunnan region. The earliest mention of puer trees are from literatures of the Tang Dynasty where Lu Yu described trees 30 feet tall with trunks that would take two men to completely embrace. The large, thick puer leaves are picked, processed and then pressed into disks (beeng cha), brick (zhun cha), or bowl shapes (tuo cha). The tea can be green (non fermented), or cooked (fermented before pressing while in the form of mao cha). Puer teas were made to be stored or aged, like wine, getting better with time. Throughout history, puer played an important role in China's economic development, being a major commodity in trading with the West. Because of their pressed forms, they could be easily transported all over the country from the Southern ports to the Northern mountains.
Apart from its long heritage, puer teas are drunk today for the health benefits and complex flavors. It's abilities to aid digestion and lower bad cholesterol has made it popular with health conscious individuals all over the world. Puer's unique properties and rare vintages have also made it a desirable item for tea collectors.
|
|
|
|
