How to choose the right pu-erh tea

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Many rely on in-store consultants when it comes to tea selection. But remember, the store makes a profit from the sales, and often the consultant will tout the product in order to sell it to you. Inexperienced drinkers can spend a ton of money on tea that isn't really worth it. Although there are, of course, stores whose recommendations you can trust, but it is better, after all, to understand some of the intricacies yourself, and not rely on the advice of sellers.

Here are some basic tips to help you choose real Pu-erh tea:

1. See how the tea is packaged and under what conditions it is sold

Puerh must be sold and stored in a cool, dry place, separate from strong smelling substances, but so that there is little air access to it. It is usually sold in its original paper packaging. Tea shops that sell sealed pu-erh briquettes are unlikely to offer you a quality product. And they store it, most likely, incorrectly.

2. Smell the tea

Good pu-erh has a clear, distinct aroma. Smoky or woody aromas may be present in the aroma depending on the age of the tea. But there should be no other foreign odor or mold smell. Tea absorbs odors very easily, so if stored improperly, it can take on an interesting aroma: cooking food, spices, etc.

3. Pay attention to the appearance of the tea

Long-aged tea briquettes will appear reddish. Young pu-erh will be greenish. But it will never be pure black. There should be no white or yellow dots on the briquette, which indicates the formation of mold. When buying an expensive pu-erh briquette, pay attention that it is solid, without large cracks. Sometimes expensive pu-erh is given a taste by scraping a small piece from the back of the briquette. Then you can find a small depression on the briquette and notice the peeling of the leaves. This is rarely noticeable, but if you see, then you should know that you have lost a little tea, since your briquette was selected for testing.

4. Try tea

Of course, you will be able to understand the taste of puerh only after you have tried many of its types. You can taste different samples in tea museums, this will allow you to better understand the taste of pu-erh tea and its aging time.

And a few more tips:

• Be clear about what you want. Having a clear understanding of the type of Pu-erh tea you want (ex: Shu, Sheng, Aged, Young), you can spend more time studying the properties and finding the exact type you are interested in. Although for beginners, this is not so important. It is more important for them to try as many different types of pu-erh as possible in order to decide which one they like the most.
• Check the prices and range of teas online, even if you intend to buy from your local store. Pu-erh is produced by various factories, but there is always a specific batch number. The main factories are Menghai, Xiaguan, Shuangjiang Mengku and others. Some tea shops that do not specialize in pu-erh will sell you low-quality tea at a high price.

I hope these tips will help you choose a really high quality and delicious tea.