Young Pu-erh black tea is a fermented tea that's been broken from tea cakes. The tea cakes contain tea leaves that have been picked, rolled, withered in the hot sun, and then steamed and pressed. It is, of course, the steaming process that generates the moisture responsible for the musty and earthy characteristics of Pu-Erh (sometimes known as Pu Er) as it develops through the ageing process. Like wines, young Pu-Erhs are considered less valuable than older teas (some 5 years or older), as indeed the taste of Pu-Erh becomes more mellow with age. This tea is classified as a young pu-erh as it is only 1 year old; however, it has the wonderful earthy, musty flavour associated with many older pu-erh black teas, which appeals to all who drink pu erh, especially those looking to enjoy the health benefits, or reported weight loss properties of this dark tea.

Fermentation Process

A method created in 1973 at the Kunming tea plant is used to make ripe Pu-erh. It is mostly made from younger, farmed Camellia sinensis assamica tea bushes. The leaf shoots are cut off and left to dry out for about 4 hours before being heated in the spreading machine to stop the oxidation process. There is some light rolling of the leaves before they are dried in the sun to make maocha. The maocha is then piled up and sprayed with water. It is then covered with heavy blankets and left. The blankets are taken off every so often, and the tea is mixed to help the brewing process. The blankets are then put back on top of the mound of tea. At this point, heat builds up inside the pile of tea, and the increased heat, along with the moisture from the water, speeds up the brewing process. The covered mounds take weeks or months to stay this way before the tea is taken out in the form of loose leaves or tea cakes. Once the loose Pu-erh or cakes that have been crushed are dry, they are put in temperature-controlled settings to age. However, Ripe Pu-erh is rarely aged for more than ten years, and most of it is made for sale within a couple of years. When it's time to sell, the leaf is pressed into a cake-like shape, wrapped, and given a date.

If you'd like to learn more about Ripe & Raw Pu-erhs, check out our article in the Tea Hub: Ripe And Raw - The Two Types Of Pu-erh Tea