How and from what pu'er tea is made in China - manufacturing technology

Author: Alena Dorozhkina , unique tea specialist,
professional tea-tester

The traditions of tea ceremonies have been observed in the East since ancient times. In local culture, tea drinking & mdash; one of the main rituals.

The Chinese are equally attentive to the processing of raw materials, which allows you to get aromatic drinks with unique properties. A variety of varieties and techniques allows everyone to find the best option for themselves, corresponding to taste, aroma and other characteristics.

If we talk about a conditional popularity rating, then the most elite and expensive species is considered to be grown in Yunnan.

Long a privilege for the people of the region, it has spread around the world over time, and is familiar to most drinkers today.

In this overview, you will learn how and from what pu'er tea is made in China, what is the secret of production technology, and what to look for when choosing a variety.

History

The drink has been known in the Middle Kingdom for more than two millennia. Tonic properties, bright and rich taste, as well as quantitative limitations of raw materials & mdash; factors that explain why, up to the 19th century, it was used by local residents as a monetary equivalent.

The name of the tea culture came from the place of origin & mdash; the ancient city of Pu-Er, founded in the southwestern part of the country, which literally translates as & laquo; settlement behind the fortress wall & raquo;.

It was here, in the mountains, to a height of about 2000 meters, that the collected leaves were brought, which later underwent strictly controlled processing, allowing to achieve maximum quality of the drink.

Popular in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, the variety was originally considered medicinal.

Trees from which foliage was harvested were classified as medicinal plants, which, according to local experts, was confirmed by the effects manifested already after the first cup drunk & mdash; relieving fatigue, a rush of vitality and raising the overall tone.

Gradually, rumors of a unique tea spread throughout China, and after the Emperor himself approved the quality of the product, the first collection began to be sent to the palace annually.

Such a valuable product could not go unnoticed by merchants and traders, and starting from the 7th century, exports began to expand steadily.

For transportation on horseback, the leaves were pressed into small cakes, wrapped in paper. The humidity of the rainforest, through which the logistical routes of the time ran, led to natural fermentation & mdash; blanks shipped raw were ready for consumption by the time they were delivered.

How Pu'er is grown

Nowadays, flushes of varietal shrubs and trees are used for production, but tea grown and harvested in the famous area of ​ ​ the Six Tea Mountains located in the Tibetan foothills is considered the most authentic.

A distinctive feature of the local climate, where morning fogs turn out to be much denser than on ordinary plantations, contributes to the growth of strong and hardy camellias, preserved only in Yongnan province.

Today, 35 species are created here (while 47 are known in the world), more than half of which are exclusive and subject to protection at the legislative level.

The most valuable Puera varieties are grown in Bingdao, Sushibana and Bingzhang, as well as in the Menghai County Reserve.

Due to climatic conditions, trees reach a height of up to 20 meters, and often have a meter girth of the trunk.

The taste of the drink largely depends on the age of the plant & mdash; the oldest specimens produce up to ten harvests per year, but in most cases younger shoots are selected for export, with an average of up to three harvests.

The period depends on varietal characteristics, but usually falls between April and September.

Making pu'er tea allows for the use of both large leaves with a fleshy texture and more delicate buds, as well as four-leaved sprouts, with the third and fourth being considered the most fragrant and healthy for humans.

It is the quality of the leaves used, as well as the collection site and production factory, that determines the cost of the finished drink.

The tradition of manual collection remains relevant today & mdash; about twelve kilograms of raw materials come out from one hectare.

This is less than other tea crops, resulting in a premium cost for the finished product.

PU markings are a series of several letters and numbers that contain basic product information. The first two characters indicate the year the recipe was created, the third & ndash; per variety of leaf, and the fourth & ndash; to the manufacturer.

Most popular beverage factories & ndash; TaeTea, Denfu, Kunming.

Varieties

According to the accepted classification, there are two main types of tea. The production material remains unchanged, but the processing technology is changing.

First grade & mdash; Shen Puer, created according to an ancient method, and originally delivered raw. Ripening and fermentation occurs naturally and without human intervention.

Characterized by long maturation & mdash; optimal taste conditions are achieved only in the third year, when the characteristic mustard disappears from the infusion.

Varieties with aging in the range of 10-15 years are considered the most valuable, and some can be stored for several decades, the cost of which on the market per kilogram easily reaches distributors to several hundred, and sometimes thousands of dollars.

Second option, Shu Puer & mdash; the result of modern technologies that significantly reduce the fermentation period.

In fact, this is a finished product with a characteristic brown tint.

Tea can be brewed immediately upon delivery.

Popularity is driven by both quality characteristics and a more affordable price.

Manufacturing methods

The first of these methods is considered authentic and original, providing for exposure from six months to several years. The natural aging of aged leaves darkens them, eliminates bitterness, and provides unique aromatic properties.

Features

Primary & mdash; collection of raw materials for future tea, traditionally performed manually. Based on the location of the plantation, the species and the characteristics of the trees, a classification is applied that divides the varieties into ten categories.

An important aspect is control treatment, during which damaged elements, as well as foreign debris and branch debris are removed from the total mass.

Fermentation

Fermentation & mdash; natural cycle for freshly collected material, due to the reaction of trace elements and chemicals to changes.

At this stage, the temperature requirements are especially strictly observed, as well as the basic characteristics on which the taste of future tea depends are monitored.

Drying

The prepared material, which has a characteristic humidity, must dry a little before being transferred for further processing.

Classic & mdash; leaf layout in a sunny area protected from the wind along the perimeter. However, today drying in closed rooms is also practiced, which allows you to provide and maintain the necessary conditions in terms of air temperature and moisture concentration.

Sublimation

For specialists, this stage has received the nickname & laquo; killing greenery & raquo;, because with its help natural internal metabolic and oxidative processes are slowed down, as well as & laquo; clogged & raquo; healing elements that determine the beneficial effect of the drink.

To obtain raw material, or Mao Cha, later sent to the production of different varieties of pu-era, usually used furnaces heated to two hundred degrees, or a steam treatment method, the duration of which depends on the technical recipe.

During heating, the outline of the tea leaves acquires a reddish tint, and the mass itself begins to exude the characteristic aroma of almonds.

Twist

While still heated, the particles of the future brew are removed from the work surface, crumpled and twisted, acquiring the usual texture.

Nowadays, large factories use special devices for this, but some manufacturers still adhere to the tradition of manual preparation.

Disruption of the tea leaf structure leads to the production of enzymes that act as a catalyst for the oxidative process.

As a result, raw materials have unique flavor properties that no other crop can match.

Pressing

Two weeks after drying, the material is finally ready, which allows you to form individual briquettes from the total mass, for the creation of which both technical means and classic wooden presses are used.

The choice of a specific method in this case does not affect the final properties of the drink, and is determined only by the desire to comply with the full authenticity of the production cycle.

How to do Shen Puer

To turn Mao Cha into a ready-to-eat brew, you need to make sure that the leaves of the tea trees have gone through a full fermentation cycle. A variety of microorganisms are involved in the natural process, including yeast and mold fungi.

It is curious that modern factories use different fermenting catalysts, on the characteristics of which the taste of tea depends.

A specific combination of smoky and woody aromas is considered a characteristic bouquet for brewed infusion. Connoisseurs and tasters highlight prunes and dried fruits in the taste combination.

The enzymes work for several months, after which the finished material passes through the already mentioned treatment cycle. When drying, it is important that each sheet gets rid of moisture, ensuring the friability of the total mass.

Failure to comply with technology may result in severe bitterness, insufficient color saturation, and fragrance.

It is worth considering that excessive withering disrupts the process of juice release, the insufficiency of which does not allow the leaves to be fully fermented, and as a result, leads to a deterioration in quality.

Loose Shen Puer goes on sale mainly in China & mdash; only a small fraction of the total annual crop is exported. This is due to the rarity and high cost, as well as high quality taste characteristics.

More affordable and common & mdash; pressed tea, for the creation of which a mold with holes is used, reminiscent of the concept of a large French press. Placing them in a fabric bag, with preliminary steam treatment, helps to increase elasticity. Pressing the cakes is done manually, or using a special installation & mdash; finished briquettes are distinguished by density and preservation of structure, which allows them to be dried at a temperature of up to 45 degrees.

Another molding option & mdash; compiling briquettes weighing in the range of one hundred grams to a kilogram, depending on demand. Pancakes in 357 g are considered standard, as well as compressed tablets and dots.

Puer & ndash; elite Chinese tea, the process of making which can last 15 years. For the manufacture of this tea, a special technology is used, thanks to which it acquires an incomparable taste and aroma. Its production & ndash; it's a long process.

Harvested tea leaves undergo double fermentation: raw materials are collected in a heap, watered, left to lie for 45 days. Such languishing accelerates the oxidation of tea. Then the leaves are dried and pressed into molds or left loose.

How to do Shu Puer

The methodology for processing tea leaves was first tested only in the 70s of the last century, as part of the study of the accelerated fermentation technique.

The basic principle is simple & mdash; the finished raw material is folded in a heap manner, watered with water, and then covered with a dense piece of fabric.

To avoid the spread of mold, the material is agitated daily.

If the internal room temperature is high enough & mdash; the aging cycle, which ensures fermentation, proceeds 3-4 times faster.

In this case, the leaves get a typical brownish tint, and the infusion brewed has a thick and saturated black color.

The aroma gives off notes of caramel, and the taste gamut is characterized by a chocolate-nutty flavor.

Technology differences

When comparing how pu'er is produced, it is easiest to present information about the difference in techniques in a clear tabular format:

It is worth noting that today manufacturers offer not only classic varieties, but also a variety of variations.

So, for example, in the catalog & laquo; of the Russian Tea Company & raquo; You can order unique varieties, among which you deserve special attention:

• Ha Go (Golden Resin) & nbsp; & mdash; created by isolating the extract, and has a bright chocolate flavor with shades of walnut and coffee beans.
• Caramel Poo-Er & nbsp; & mdash; an original combination of a traditionally brutal bouquet with notes of sugar caramel and sweet milk.
• Бамбук Шен — the best option for brewing in a kettle, providing a characteristic taste and an unusual straw color of the infusion.

Tea Storage

Another unique & mdash; shelf life of the finished product.

Unlike other varieties, it not only preserves, but also improves its taste.

True collectors know that creating the right conditions allows tea leaves and over the years to reveal a multifaceted bouquet of taste and aroma. To ensure a comfortable environment, a loose brew or mold should be protected from:

• Sunlight, as ultraviolet light destroys the structure of the sheet.
• Increased humidity, which causes the growth of mold fungus.
• Staying close to fragrant products, including coffee and spices.

Experts recommend using a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, or aluminum foil & mdash; this will be sufficient for long-term storage.

Let's summarize

Today, information about how and where Pu'er is made is no longer a secret for residents of small Chinese provinces.

A drink unique in its properties is available to everyone.

To enjoy its taste and aroma, it is enough to order a suitable variety from the catalog & laquo; Russian Tea Company & raquo; , which guarantees not only quality and aging, but also compliance with all the subtleties of handling elite teas.