Pu-Erh Imperial

Pu-Erh Imperial, otherwise known as Cooked Golden-Tipped Pu Erh, has all of the characteristics of a fine loose-leaf Pu-Erh. Dark, savoury and earthy; this tea is said to be a stomach filler and some claim to use it as an appetite suppressant! We love it because it is delicious!

Pu-Erh is a completely unique type of tea known for its distinctive, ripe and earthy flavour, invocative of the primordial subtropical forests from which the most ancient wild tea leaves were first picked and cultivated.

This is a fermented dark tea as opposed to a black tea and the key to its flavour and character is in the method of processing. Large flat leaves are partially oxidised before being left to naturally develop bacteria and other microbes which give Pu Erh it’s unique flavour.

The resulting cup is dark red in colour with a savoury aroma and bold, robust, ripe and earthy flavours with a fruity finish that hints at grape, plum and cherry.

Story

Pu Erh Map of Origin

Pu Erh is famous for its ripe, earthy, woody flavours; distinctive and invocative of the primordial subtropical forests from which the most ancient tea leaves were first picked and cultivated.

Pu Erh hails exclusively from Yunnan in China, an area famous for its pioneering tea plant cultivation and ancient history and traditions surrounding the tea plant and leaves. This historic region also developed the process of fermenting and oxidising tea leaves, both of which helped to improve the flavour of lower quality leaves and to preserve tea leaves for transport and trade - the very evolution that transformed tea from a local herb to an international commodity!

Yunnan Pu Erh Tree

Pu Erh vitally uses both of these processes (oxidisation and fermentation) in order to create its distinctive flavour – unique in the tea world. The whole process starts with large, flat tea leaves from wilder varieties of tea plants which have been fixed but not oxidised (like green tea) to retain their original, wild character. The oxidisation (heating and drying) process then begins, but is stopped short of removing all moisture from the leaves. These leaves are then either left raw (loose) or formed into tightly pressed cakes and bricks where they are left to ferment (the remaining moisture in the leaves are left to develop microbes and natural bacteria) which significantly changes their flavour.

To Enjoy

Place two teaspoons per cup into an infuser, filter or teapot. Add freshly boiled water and infuse for 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Health Benefits

• Black tea improves cardiac blood flow and coronary function and also improves endothelial function in the heard which improves vascular function.(Dr Renold Sebold, The Truth About Tea & Health part 1)
• Pu-erh tea is a particular type of Chinese black tea which is praised for its ability to boost the metabolism and help the body break-down fat. Throughout history, the Chinese have drunk Pu-Erh tea to counterbalance rich food and help digestion. Today it is very popular as part of weight-loss programmes due to its positive effects on metabolising fat.