Pu’er, or pu-erh tea, is the oldest Chinese tea, with a unique taste and healing properties. The leaves are harvested from tea trees in Yunnan Province for this unique drink. Some tea trees are as old as several thousand years. Pu-erh was used only for medicinal purposes in ancient times. The essential pu-erh tea benefits were boosting immunity and improving the general tone of the body. Ancient Chinese people drank it to heal themselves and believed it to be a source of beauty, youth, and longevity.
Types of Pu-erh Tea:
- Green tea. It is produced using the classic method of picking and processing the tea leaves. This tea is made from relatively large, brownish-green leaves. Green pu-erh tea does not have a noticeable smoky or dried fruit smell.
- Black tea. This tea consists of small, dark leaves. The aroma is intense, with strong earthy notes. It has a spicy taste.
- White tea. Its harvesting technology is similar to that of green tea. The distinctive feature of this tea is the white leaf sheath and some aspects of the taste. The white type is aromatic with a light honey flavor.
Pu-erh Tea Benefits
- Accelerating metabolism. People fighting with excess weight should know this property of pu-erh tea. It also reduces appetite.
- This drink removes toxins and other harmful substances from the body. Tea helps to normalize the work of the liver, which often suffers in the conditions of modern life, as well as the work of the cardiovascular system and other organs. Pu-erh tea can also reduce tobacco and alcohol damage.
- Pu-erh tea normalizes digestion. Eating fatty, heavy food but drinking pu-erh tea reduces the feeling of heaviness in the stomach. It has a positive effect on both the internal organs and the sebaceous glands. The skin changes and becomes clean and fresh. In addition, people suffering from digestive tract diseases should use pu-erh tea.
- Pu-erh tea slows down inflammatory processes in the body and regulates the adrenal glands.
- Pu-erh tea is a well-tonic and anti-fatigue drink. This tea also contains caffeine and can be comparable to coffee. When consumed regularly, this tea helps to focus and allows for the storage of memory information.
- Pu-erh tea leaves are rich in vitamins A, B, C, E, P, and other trace elements. These give it strong antibacterial, antioxidant, and even anti-cancer properties.
- This delightful tea contains various amino acid complexes that regulate the activity of individual organs and allow the whole human body to function effectively.
Important! Due to its tonic properties, do not consume pu-erh tea before bedtime.
Pu’er Tea Brewing
Pu-erh tea is extracted from the common tea tree, picking only the finest leaves. You need to dry and steam them to remove excess moisture. Crush the leaves and continue to dry in the shade. Then make an excellent cup of pu-erh drink from the dried leaves.
You can find pu-erh tea in supermarkets pressed into cubes, flat cakes, squares, and other shapes. Of course, you can buy loose tea leaves.
Preparation of Pu-erh Tea from Loose Leaves
You can brew pu-erh tea in water or milk. The best way is to use an earthenware teapot or a specialized thermos for tea ceremonies. However, your existing teapot or just a tiny pot is fine. The amount of liquid depends on how much tea you want to make.
- Fill the pot with liquid and boil it three times. You can pour out a third of the liquid after each boil to cool it down and pour it back in. It is unnecessary, but it helps to ensure the tea tastes unique.
- After the third brew, pour in the pu-erh teas. The recommended amount is one teaspoon per cup (200 ml).
- Heat the tea to a temperature of approximately 90 degrees. It is important not to let it boil.
- Wait for the tea leaves to settle to the bottom, and you are ready to drink it.
Preparation of Pressed Pu’er Tea
- Choose an earthenware or glass container and wash the pressed pu-erh tea piece with boiling water. A bowl is best. Break off a 2-3 g piece for one cup of tea.
- Gently crush the tea leaves. You mustn’t break the leaves themselves, but only separate one from the other!
- Place the tea leaves in the prepared container and cover with hot water. The water should cover the leaves. Leave for no more than half a minute. The process needs to wash the dust off the tea leaves.
- Before taking a cup of the desired size and adding the rinsed tea leaves, pour off the water from the pot. Refill a new portion of boiling water over them. The recommended amount of tea is one teaspoon per cup (200 ml).
- You can drink the tea, and then it has cooled already.
An unexpected little surprise is that you can reuse the leaves up to 10 times. The tea will retain its flavor and properties.
Pu-erh Tea Side Effects
- Patients with high blood pressure problems should not consume the tea. As it is a tonic drink, it increases blood pressure. You can enjoy it with caution and not overdo it.
- Do not drink it on an empty stomach or while fasting.
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not drink this tea.
- Individuals with genital and urinary tract diseases should not drink this tea. For example, urolithiasis is one of the current diseases.
- The tea is not suitable for people with insomnia.
- It is not suitable for people with glaucoma. Pu-erh tea may increase intraocular pressure.
- It is not recommended for children under 6–8 years old.
Important! One of the unique properties of pu-erh tea is its dizziness effect. It is relaxing and tonic at the same time, but it has neither an alcoholic nor a narcotic effect. You can obtain this effect from pu-erh tea by brewing it extra strongly.
Researches:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095754822000321
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996913001415
Associative photos © Canva.
