It is today and a strict view entirely correct. The appelation puerh (Pu Er tea) is indeed defined since 2003 by Chinese authorities as a fermented product from green tea trees with large leaves, collected in Yunnan and only teas produced in this region are entitled to the appellation of tea puerh.
Note however that historically the name comes from the tea trade puerh (Pu Er tea) this tea, especially in the city and region of Pu'er and in ancient times different teas sold in Pu'er teas were made puerh (Pu Er tea) whatever their origin .
More like trees sometimes grow very aged, still in the border regions, including Burma, Laos and Viet Nam, and sometimes produce a similar tea, sometimes sold as tea puerh. Some of these teas purchased at low cost producers in their countries, also passes the border to be sold in China as puerh (Pu Er tea) Yunnan.

Widespread in Hong Kong where it is often assumed that Hong Kong is at the origin of tea puerh (Pu Er tea) is historically untrue. If in recent times, and even today, much of Yunnan consumes only green tea, texts attest that tea puerh (Pu Er tea) was already known, named as such and widely consumed by the Han and the minorities of Yunnan it are over 400 years ago.
More ancient tree plantations in Yunnan occurred more than 1000 years, to see thousands of years for the tree not the oldest wild, suggest that the ethnic groups of Yunnan were eating the leaves of these trees there's 1000 years ago.

In a strict sense, and according to Chinese tea puerh (Pu Er tea) name, is part of the post fermented tea category, called "black tea". However the puerh (Pu Er tea) is very different from what is called "black tea" in French, which means a common fermented tea and is called "red tea" in Chinese.
He then there's puerh (Pu Er tea) within the at least two major product types: The first are fermented during production using a specific method puerh (Pu Er tea) and are named Shu Cha in Chinese. The second, named Cha Cheng in Chinese, are not fermented during production, but will continue to evolve by undergoing a natural transformation called post-fermentation. This can be done either in natural storage conditions, in which case it will be very slow and gradual, or be accelerated and influenced by various technical playing on storage conditions.

Present in different writing poorly documented that we find on the internet, but also in the book in French by Nadia Becaud, this is totally false. Although we observe the last twenty years a great passion for tea puerh, and so it is now unquestionably the dark tea (black tea or Hei Cha in Chinese) most famous, it is not the only tea of ​​this family of tea.
Hei Cha other best-known are the Liubao the region of Guang Xi (广西 六 堡 茶) and Liu'an the region of An Hui (安徽 六安 篮 茶), but there are many other teas in dark areas of Guang Xi, An Hui and Sichuan.

Another quote from the book by Nadia Becaud, it is also a widespread perception in the West especially. While some may well puerh (Pu Er tea) meets that description, the generalized thing is very inaccurate.
First only certain puerh (Pu Er tea) fermented artificially, from storage or wet aged a few decades can possibly meet this definition, therefore excluding the whole youth puerh (Pu Er tea) puerh relatively crude or older from natural dry storage.
In addition the puerh (Pu Er tea) is a large family of teas, where the origin of leaves, their work and their fermentation and storage conditions teas have a great influence both on the color of the infusion as the aromas that derived. There is therefore within puerh (Pu Er tea) a very big variety of colors and aromas and reduce the wealth of puerh (Pu Er tea) a woody taste sweet dominant wetland would mean that the French wine (all Types) is burgundy red with a particular taste, sweet tannin and pronounced woody notes.

This is completely false. It puerh (Pu Er tea) there's countless flavors vary according to their land of origin, season and year to which they were collected, the work leaves before compression, age and type of trees they originate. Some of these teas can be particularly bitter (and appreciated as such), while the others will be very soft.
Moreover also the sheet itself, which may contain substances that cause the sensation of bitterness, the bitterness of the tea can also come from a bad job of the sheet before compression, or result from an attack of pests before harvest.
Finally the excessive bitterness and legendary puerh (Pu Er tea) can also often be the result of poor preparation of tea, including herbal teas too long durations.

Perspective that is found in many books, especially from Hong Kong and Taiwan, but then again everywhere. This is still a mink very typical Hong Kong which have been developed fermentation techniques of artificial puerh (Pu Er tea) (wet storage) to make it consumable tea initially considered undrinkable.
But the tea was consumed raw puerh (Pu Er tea) (green) for a long time in Yunnan, not only by ethnic groups who planted the first tea garden, but at least since the 17th century by the Han, in forms that resemble those of gross puerh (Pu Er tea) contemporary than those without it have a need for artificial fermentation of tea.
Even today the puerh (Pu Er tea) is mainly consumed in Yunnan and young in its non-fermented, the fermented puerh (Pu Er tea) is generally seen as a product for export.

This is a misunderstanding or translation of ancient texts, no longer seeking recovery here and there to build the myth. The tea was well there are over 1000 years in China consumed in the form of cakes, such as Lu Yu recounts, but the cakes they had except their circular shape, not much in common with our cakes puerh.
Puerh cakes are indeed made of whole leaves, made flexible steam and compressed, and these are indeed the whole leaf which is extracted from the cake to the brew. The ancient cakes for their part were made of a sort of compressed tea paste, which was then baked in the flame and then reduced to powder before being consumed.

Thus many people in the West see the puerh, and are sometimes repelled by the idea of ​​playing at meals or drinking a few cups of cl ...
Many tea lovers, including puerh (Pu Er tea) and oolong, indeed prepare their tea in the traditional Chinese gung fu itself (such as sport of the same name) of which there are many variations. Based on successive infusions and brief (seconds) of a relatively high amount of leaves (2 g to 6 g on average) in a small amount of water (around 10 to 15cl) is probably the best way make the most of its tea leaves. Also produce a better brew tea, how to infuse this allows very fine control of the result, and due to its infusion of tea a real art. And subtly varying the water temperature, the amount of tea or duration of infusion, it greatly influences the flavor of tea, so better to stick to the character of the latter where his mood.
This being said if this is undoubtedly the finest way to prepare tea, regardless of the type of tea also, it is against in any way an obligation, and you may well brew tea puerh (Pu Er tea) as you see fit, using a teapot piao-I, a large pot of cast iron or porcelain, in a thermos, a simple glass of water or a pot. Moreover, it is well that this tea is consumed daily by millions of Chinese, the country town, only a minority of practicing gung cha.
The Chinese also make the difference between drinking tea (he cha) and enjoy tea (cha ping) ... and it is not because we like the fact of taste end teas with friends that you can not just drink tea in a large pot or large glasses of boiling water.

Puerh tea is generally arrived in the West as Tuocha, many people, including scientific studies, this tea called "tea Tuocha" in making it a type of tea in its own right. By extension, therefore, some people consider a side puerh (Pu Er tea) tea and other tea Tuocha, as two different types of tea.
Or Tuocha is a generic term for the form of bowls or bird's nest in which the puerh (Pu Er tea) can be compressed, as it can be shaped bricks (zhuan cha), slab (bing cha) or fungus (jin cha). It thus refers to a form that may take puerh, not a different tea.

Tuocha Yunnan is a registered trademark under which sold a puerh (Pu Er tea) fermented very average, especially in some supermarkets and small shops in Europe and North America . Tuocha but is primarily a Chinese common name to designate the compressed tea bowl-shaped, one of the most common forms of puerh (Pu Er tea) with slab and brick. The "real" tuochas are very long products in China under different brands, the best known and oldest is Xiaguan.

Although the majority of grade teas from many a species of Camellia Sinensis, Camellia species are used to produce tea. In the case of puerh (Pu Er tea) including being spent not only the Camellia Sinensis Camellia but also Taliensis. In addition there are many varieties within those species such as the Camellia Sinensis or Assamica Pubilima the Camellia Sinensis, as well as many local varieties (nearly 200 years the Yunnan) which will have distinct characters and produce teas aromas and properties radically different.

This is not entirely accurate. It is true that different ethnic groups living in the existing mastered already cultre Yunnan tea trees of us and we left the old gardens sometimes going back over 1000 years ago and we can deduce that these people ate the leaves.
The manner in which these leaves were against first worked to make tea, prepared and eaten by various ethnic groups in Yunnan in those days was probably quite different from what we know today and which derives more a tea growing Han, who arrives in Yunnan from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Ethnic groups in Yunnan, for example, or the like Jinuo Bulang, still eat the tea leaves, fresh, alone or with other dishes, are extensively fermented or under the earth like some Bulang practice.

This belief, shared and endorsed notably by Nadia Becaud in his book in French comes from a misinterpretation of the origin of the sheets comprising tea puerh. A majority of puerh, particularly in the area Menghai, come from trees called "big leaf", which grow from very ancient times in southern Yunnan.
Little or no cut, these large trees do indeed produce very large leaves which the tree needs to grow. However, although according to puerh (Pu Er tea) we use different sizes and ages of leaves, they are not or very rarely leaves larger, older, which are harvested, but the fresh young leaves, much smaller in size. And are usually harvested bud, or very young shoots, and the first, the first two or three times the first leaves, as such or after fermentation.

It's an idea, commonly believed by the uninformed beginner, and widely distributed by a number of unscrupulous sellers and producers. If it there's 2000 years, and as related by Lu Yu tea was consumed by the wild drinker demanding quality and considered qualitatively better than the tea planting things have changed since then and, although there are still a number of wild tea trees in Yunnan, their use is rare, and wild tea cakes less common than some would have us believe. For various reasons.
First of all these trees are usually very difficult to access and grow in the wild often in the middle of remote forests (I speak of wild tea, not tea gardens in the heart of the forest) in which it is difficult and dangerous to travel. A number of these original forests, is also owned by the state or protected area and pluck tea at the top of trees is strictly prohibited. In addition to the large size and shape of these trees makes picking wild leaves the most difficult.
Although there is some demand for the puerh (Pu Er tea) of wild tea plants, it is not strong enough, and the price of tea large enough so that farmers risk their lives to pluck a few leaves on top of a tree 10 meters. I saw several times farmers have a wild tea tree on their own ground, and not use it at all, in favor of their old trees, most wanted and easy to harvest.
For last but not least, the wild tea is not what we commonly think, has a very specific flavor, not bad but in no way approaches what is expected of a puerh (Pu Er tea) quality, with when they are young and very gently almost lemony flavor, and after some years are expressed in a dimension harsh and dull. In short, in any case the puerh (Pu Er tea) "top top" we're trying to sell us in general.
In the vast majority of cases where a seller presents his tea as pure tea tree wild yesheng cha shu (野生 茶树) or wild tree, he's a crook who tries to exploit your lack of knowledge for you bamboozle (or did it just as little knowledge of what he sells, which is common), and when it is written on a cake that is almost always a sign of blatant dishonesty of its producer, especially if it has to taste something quite common. If it is questionable Souvant productions, some renowned producers, such as CNNP, do not hesitate to register yesheng cha shu on some of these products contain absolutely no tea of ​​wild trees.
But then there's what he claimed in the wild tea cakes? A bit of everything and it is difficult to generalize. In some cases, these so-called wild teas are teas from old plantations in reality, that is planted there by man there's a long time, sometimes several hundred years, see more than 1000 years, without being wild. However, a producer or a seller who has no more qualms about perpetrating these lies, to make sales pitches or register shamelessly wild tea on her cake was not really a reason to sell tea to old planting, expensive, and as long as there is often assume the scam through by posing as a wild vulgar young tea plantation intensive.
He is always getting back to the original question that the quality criteria and standards of excellence today puerh (Pu Er tea) lean more towards the so-called old plantation trees, and from mature gardens, considered as producing a high quality puerh (Pu Er tea) and not to wild trees.

Consequence of what has been said before, it is common to hear that puerh (Pu Er tea) wild trees never come true wild trees, such as harvesting of these is prohibited.
Now we must put this ban. Established to prevent abuses that Yunnan has seen during the general good of puerh (Pu Er tea) (2003-2007), including over-exploitation of ancient tea trees or cutting of trees in the middle of wild forest to strip them easily and quickly their leaves, many wild tea plants are still used in moderation and discernment, by the locals who since ancient times to pick the leaves.
Although this is not common, and sometimes sold or discreetly under wraps, there are so many of the real puerh (Pu Er tea) arbrs wild on the market. As if to satisfy the general public simply enter "wild tree" on the packaging of any puerh (Pu Er tea) it well among fans there's a real demand for the wild tree, including their specific flavors but also for their ability to age. The tea of ​​wild tea tree ages indeed faster and quite different from conventional tea, developing over the years specific flavors of particular interest.
Some experts believe so, although it is impossible to verify, that the ancient slabs which have survived, especially from before the '50s and today are seen as symbols of excellence puerh (Pu Er tea) old, come from , at least in large part, of wild trees. If this were true this is today by storing the puerh (Pu Er tea) of abres wild that would have most likely to possess such cakes ages in years to come. Furthermore the scarcity of wild puerh (Pu Er tea) today would make these cakes future older products of very high value on the market puerh, creating in the sphere of art lovers and collectors demand for the authentic puerh (Pu Er tea) wild tea tree.

There are a number of ancient tea trees in Yunnan, especially in some areas, and some rare teas are indeed obtained from these trees. After it is a catchy and easy shortcut to say that the puerh (Pu Er tea) generally comes from trees as old, and most puerh (Pu Er tea) market come from trees younger than 10 years for younger trees planting, a few hundred years for the majority of ancient trees.
Also the age of the tree is not always better symbol of tea. If a tree typically tens to hundreds of years produced a puerh (Pu Er tea) richer than a sapling trees that reach over 1000 years are often wild or transitive and flavor character frequently deviate from standard of excellence puerh (Pu Er tea) tea.

This is a classic argument that many sellers are abusing to push to the consumption of expensive products and justify the high price of some teas.
Puerh tea from ancient trees, rarer and more expensive, is considered superior. It is usually more intense flavor, and in some cases allows the development of more complex and subtle flavors, especially due to the presence of various secondary metabolites (type of molecules produced by the plant and not strictly necessary for survival) as Young trees do not generally produce. To this a certain number of amateurs highlight the soul of tea (or qi), and dimension of the teas of old trees beyond the mere question of taste. Excellent pancakes, popular, and are produced from old trees, see millennia.
On the other hand there exists a number of intensive production of puerh, young trees and overexploited, sometimes reinforced chemical fertilizers, which produce a predictable poor quality tea, and that will be taken easily by example to discredit the entire young plantations and assert the need to buy tea tree old.
That said we should not kid ourselves, there are also largely of abuse in the culture of ancient trees, forest clearing nearby to increase sun exposure trees, weeding or chemical soil to Conversely teas suppressed trees in the middle of corn fields to make the most of space, on-harvested trees, etc., and unfortunately come from old trees is absolutely not a guarantee of quality.
Unlike a number of producers, conscientious and respectful of their work, own and maintain beautiful green tea gardens, where young trees grow in the manner of old gardens and they take good reproductions of puerh. Again the shortcut is easy and is often wrong, even a young tree, which grow in a supportive environment, will be maintained and operated with care and respect, and whose leaves are worked carefully and know-how will all the odds produce an excellent tea, no relation to a former tea tree harvesting and whose work would be botched. And more particularly in certain regions such as Blang, the aromas of young trees are often softer, rounder and less bitter, and when quality will ultimately be preferred by many enthusiasts, particularly Western.

Originally from the forests, the ancient tea trees of Yunnan grow naturally in mountainous areas of this region. Some soils are particularly remote and so may approach 2000m.
Then with the market growth puerh (Pu Er tea) and especially in areas such as Xishuangbanna, were planted in the plains and the foothills, many gardens. Now constitute the largest share of puerh (Pu Er tea) sold on the market, some of these gardens are extensive lowland intensive cultivation of young tea plants, while the others are excellent ecological gardens, old and sometimes included in the hearts of forests or in areas with high biodiversity.
If so many high-altitude soils are recognized, there is a tendency to bind altitude and quality too. Many other parameters have a great influence on the quality of a given area, starting with sun exposure (slope of the mountain), the nature of the soil, the microclimate or the surrounding plant diversity, and altitude is not sufficient to define the quality of a given area.
Furthermore it is not because the altitude seems generally favor quality tea, the more high altitude will be best tea. We notice in fact that much of the land and gardens are recognized between 1200m and 1800m, and recognized as the tea growing at 2000m are a minority.

It's not false either, and the soil to a major influence in the quality of puerh, but it is nevertheless a statement in perspective. It is indeed often forget the influence of technology, the quality of tea depends at least 50%.
Between the leaf that grows on the tree and there's cake puerh (Pu Er tea) it a succession of steps, and each of them a great influence on the result you get in your cup (See this Article ). The Sha qing (the first "dry" fresh leaves in a wok) to Qing Shai (tea drying in air) through the Rou cha (leaf rolling), every action must be done with care and balance, and as when cooking any error, failure or abuse arises. If a good technique can not do anything to get a mediocre tea, the best leaves the world will not work if they are not worked conscientiously.
In the mouth the seller the only guarantee of quality is often called the ideal conditions which come from trees, elevation, tree age, or you realize that for a given origin of the differences are enormous one producer to another, and that often what is lacking is the technical producer or grower.

Still nonsense that it is good to restore from the book of Nadia Becaud. Xia Guang to start is not located in southern Yunnan, but north, away from the plantations in Xishuangbanna.
Xiaguan is nonetheless a household name in the history of tea puerh, among others through the factory of the same name that is installed with and Menghai Tea Factory represent the two largest (by volume) puerh (Pu Er tea) tea producers. The location of this plant, eccentric production areas of aillor is not accidental, Xiaguan (Dali) in the past is a key point of the road with Pu'er tea and a major market in Yunnan tea.
The tea was sold in Xiaguan, or who was and is compressed in the plant had not yet Xiaguan mostly not from the area but in southern Yunnan, in areas of Xishuangbanna, Pu'er (Simao) and Lincang hence the puerh (Pu Er tea) originated.

No. Although this idea is promulgated by the producers of this region, Xishuangbanna and riding Menghai do not produce either a tea superior to other producing regions such as Lincang or Pu'er (former Simao).
Xishuangbanna has a long history in tea, including dates and reputation greatly from the Qing dynasty (644-1911), during which tea from Xishuangbanna been selected to be imperial tea and be transported on horseback and via the road tea up to Beijing. Impelled by this awareness a tea economy has emerged in this region, producers, workshops, vendors, but also a multitude of professions associated stonemasonry to press the puerh, harvesting bamboo and manufacture of packaging for transport cakes, and a multitude of carriers and horses that were draining the old roads tea. Six great tea mountains original, whose first name also dates to the Qing Dynasty and was changed several times, are then added to a number, now forming a production area of ​​puerh vast but mostly very dense and active.
Region Menghai especially undoubtedly has the largest concentration of tea factories, and a majority of producers puerh (Pu Er tea) settled there since the creation of Fo Hai (future Menghai Tea Factory), especially to enjoy the recognition and the image of this region. Another point that played heavily in favor of this area is the proximity of different tea mountains against each other, which coupled with a road infrastructure more developed than in other mountainous areas can travel quickly and relatively easily in different villages producers of these mountains, which is significantly longer and more difficult in the mountains of Pu'er example, where it will take several hours to reach a farm.
That said, the tea of ​​this region is not objectively better than those produced Lincang or Pu'er, less developed regions, which include still have large areas of native forest (which is becoming increasingly rare in Xishuangbanna), and or pushing a very large number of truly wild tea trees, and beautiful old tea plantation.

No. There are plenty more where soils are puerh (Pu Er tea) harvested teas such as those contained in say six famous mountains. Note also that many of the most famous vineyards today are outside of these six mountains, such as Lao Banzhang (Bulang Shan) or Bing Dao (Mengku).
The "Big Six Tea Mountains" are primarily a marketing tool, particularly promoted in Hong Kong and Taiwan and put forward by many producers to promote their products.
But this name is mostly historical and cultural and is reflected today in any superiority. Dating from the early 19th century, these six mountains, bounding in reality blurred outline an area, accounted for the largest tea producing area in Yunnan puerh (Pu Er tea) known. In this sense the "Da" of the original Chinese apellation Liu Da Shan Cha is to be taken as as "great" and not as "famous" as the English (speaking of Six Famous Tea Mountain, not Big Six Tea Mountain) is translated, and these mountains were recognized before the asset Quanity of tea produced there was not its quality.
In this sense a document written between 1820 and 1850 and the six class mountain depending on the quality of tea produced there, also states that the tea harvested in the sub-prefecture of Simao (Pu'er) is for its hand recognized as top quality and carefully separated from other
Note also that the exact list of those 6 mountains has changed over time, and that the six mountains recognized since 1962 as the "Six major mountain tea," do not match the six major tea mountains that such original we called them up during the Qing Dynasty (644-1911) and that made them famous.
Also known from some soils, particularly in the region of Wu Yi, tea production in most of these six great tea mountains today has dropped dramatically in favor of rubber or banana, making these six major mountains or a page in the history of puerh, a hollow marketing concept, but ultimately does not reflect the current reality of tea production puerh.

This is false. Although Wu Yi has a long history in the puerh, and an important place in the history of tea and Wu Yi area has a good number of excellent terroirs, the reputation of that mountain tea, and driven largely orchestrated by the Taiwanese, is overrated and does not reflect today's objective superiority.
Wu Yi was indeed in the past an important tea areas puerh. Following a massive migration of Han and Shiping to the strategic position of Wu Yi, settled there among other 18th century many private producers of puerh, some of which later became very famous.
The current reputation and demand for tea from Wu Yi only comes, however, not directly from these historical facts, but most of Taiwan, during the great phenomenon around the puerh (Pu Er tea) is seized Wu Yi as a symbol in a promoted and bought the biggest production, causing a sharp rise in prices of tea Wu Yi
And if still in Taiwan Yi Wu enjoys a solid reputation, and teas from this region are particularly dear to the Taiwanese market, these teas cause much less popular on the mainland Chinese, and their prices are very reasonable face of other lands of reputations.
Resulted in recognition for Wu Yi tea is primarily a historical phenomenon and marketing, and does not reflect today's real superiority when the quality of tea. Note also that in the 18th century already Wu Yi was not universally considered as producing a high quality tea (where one usually regarded tea as Yibang Manzhuan or higher),

It is a beautiful fairy account, but not in any case the current process of making puerh (Pu Er tea) (it should still know what it is), let alone its post-fermentation (artificial?) Belongs to "a" so-called ethnic Yunnan who had discovered and perpetuated to the present day.
If it is true that different ethnic groups in Yunnan, such as Blang, or the Hani already operating in the distant past tea trees, sometimes mastered in culture, and consumed it in one way or another the leaves, tea puerh (Pu Er tea) as such, as it is produced and consumed today is due to Han. The latter who migrated from Yunnan in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) developed there, from the leaves collected by the natives, the puerh (Pu Er tea) and culture as we know them today.
A shift particularly grating on this subject, from Chinese records dating from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) also shows the contempt and denial of Han facing the tea culture and practices of local ethnic groups: "In the old Yunnan time had no tea, but it was not because tea could not grow there. Aborigines of the area had no way to pick the tea leaves or the work, and did anyway when no moderation when boil the tea, which ultimately is the same as not having tea at all. "

Another quote from Nadia Becaud on the same subject, it is useful to correct. If again it is the ethnic groups in Yunnan that we owe the first cultivation of tea trees, and a number of mature grounds, sometimes several hundred years old and still in operation today, the compression of when to puerh (Pu Er tea) it, including shaped nest, is not only more recent but is an invention of the Han Chinese bound after taking control of the region by the latter. The first compressed forms (balls) of puerh (Pu Er tea) seems to occur in Yunnan Han in the 16th century, the tuo cha (tea compressed shaped nest) when appearing to him in the landscape in 1916.

It is indeed as is known in Chinese (晒 青 shai qing) and English (sun drying) an important work sheets puerh, following the leaf rolling (Rou Cha), which consists to let them air dry (see From the tree to the cake ). Some attribute this particular part and specificity of work sheets puerh (Pu Er tea) different properties of this tea, including its ability to evolve over time.
But it is primarily the name of a manufacturing step of puerh, and does not always mean that the leaves have been dried "sun". In some cases this will be very drying in the sun, spreading leaves on large benches or woven baskets and be brief. Now it is common, and very often during the monsoon, the climate and weather does not permit a "real" sun drying, and the tea is then dried according to the producers under greenhouse for much longer, in a heated room provided for this purpose or in any room of the house, often see the fire or on top of foyer bathed in hot smoke ... which will of course an influence (and usually not controlled) on tea, its flavor and its properties.

Met several times in texts poorly documented it is a confusion based on a misunderstanding of the stages of tea manufacture puerh (Pu Er tea) (See From the tree to the cake ).
The stage called "killing the green", or Sha Qinq in Chinese is to briefly take the tea leaves at high temperature, either manually in a wok heated with wood or with a circular machine, to extract much of the water contained in tea leaves. The spreading and drying of leaves, the sun where possible, named Shai Qing in Chinese is very different and occurs later, after another critical step, the leaf rolling.

Common idea in Europe where, from our history, we see easily against the side of a small-scale producer respectful of tradition and expertise, and the other big industry intensively. Image also widely highlighted by a number of importers and sellers, proud to offer you the local product guaranteed "small producer" (which is said to meet in passing but in general we forget to quote the name and originally!).
However, it is necessary to understand the Chinese situation, to see things in terms of historical realities, political and cultural life of this country. Following the communist land where trees grow in the origin of teas puerh, were cut into many small plots and widely distributed to families. A vast majority of tea gardens, especially where the old trees which are produced puerh (Pu Er tea) most wanted, so now belong to small family farmers, who in the majority do not market their tea in their name but harvest, the work and sell it wholesale as mao cha ... particularly to larger producers who will press and market it. Quality teas offered by the largest Chinese producers, particularly those from older trees have been harvested so often and eventually worked by small family farmers before being bought by a producer who's selling it.
The real question that now separates a product as it is squeezed out of the bag of the peasant, and that offer reputable Chinese producers is the question of technology. He who is content to buy Maocha crude peasant and do not press on his behalf has in general little or no technique, and the product it offers is a direct reflection of what was harvested, and is usually enough tipe. On the other side a number of Chinese producers consider the technique, including the sorting of leaves, separation of grades, assembly and controlled end of the leaves and crops, as crucial, necessary to balance tea and propose a puerh (Pu Er tea) certainly further from what we can drink at the farm, but also more refined.
Given the recent strong growth in the market for such products "raw", as they are squeezed out of the bag of the peasant, we can consider this as a new school, which has its advocates and detractors, but in no case has any objective superiority as some would have us believe.

This is a very common assumption, particularly in the West, and the need to relativize. The majority of production in Yunnan puerh, in terms of volume, comes from big productions more or less intensive. Major brands of flow puerh (Pu Er tea) indeed a good part of this tea cheap (Menghai Tea Factory and Xiaguan eg flow annually nearly 12,000 tons of tea, partly through cheap goods from big production).
However the one hand many brands also offer tea puerh (Pu Er tea) high quality, from recognized vineyards and often pressed from leaves purchased from small producers of these soils (under contract or seasonally). Furthermore many small producers also produce a tea of ​​intensive cultivation and deplorable quality, they usually sell in bulk and at low prices to others who will take charge of the market on their behalf.

This is a widespread belief in China, where brands like DaYi Xiaguan or enjoy great recognition and that many consumers are (sometimes blindly) trust. Recognition largely driven partly by the long history of these companies, virtually inseparable from the history of puerh (Pu Er tea) itself as well as by large marketing resources in place in recent years.
These famous brands, however, generally a wide range of quality products and very different prices, and not in any way constitute a quality mark in itself. The first awards of these producers are generally particularly distressing, and are content to use to sell the brand image or recognition of some key products.
Meanwhile there is of course a multitude of lesser-known producers of the general public, but recognized amateurs, offering excellent teas that have, quite the contrary, nothing to envy to the great historical producers.
After going further it is no coincidence that this belief appears in China and is so common in this country. Unlike other countries, or market puerh (Pu Er tea) is very limited, and the choice often restricted to a few references that we come to find, China is itself inundated with tens of thousands of references puerh. Among these teas is a huge amount of mediocre tea or of very questionable quality, often produced by a new generation of individuals covered by the lure of money and improvising producer puerh (Pu Er tea) often after only 2 or 3 years evolve in that environment, and without having any technical or any serious training.
Puerh produce quality, such as producing a quality wine, requires not only practical but also a long broad expertise or knowledge, and it is more than understandable that with the foolishness and absurdity of a significant proportion of new puerh (Pu Er tea) producers, Chinese consumers prefer to turn to reputable companies, although ultimately this is not necessarily the best choice.

Unfortunately this is not so simple, the abusive and false names are so common in China they are almost part of the culture, and we commonly found among producers of reputations. And among many other teas produced by former CNNP, producer and historical state-dependent, are presented as being from wild tea without being at all, different teas produced by Haiwan play subtly but quite honestly not on the appelation BIO, teas come from the famous Mengku called terroir Bing Dao does not come, cakes pressed by the famous Six Famous Tea Mountains are sold (less than 5 euros!) as tea Lao Banzhang , etc., etc. ...

One idea I have often heard, especially in France, and largely driven by a handful of producers and importers of Western, which are increasingly pressing their own cakes in China a tea called higher as they present "pure".
But it is a misinterpretation of the concept mixing (or blending in English). Just as French culture of wine can be distinguished from the approach of some other countries by the mixture of different varieties within the same wine, the notion of mixing on puerh (Pu Er tea) is something noble and integral part of culture of this tea.
Contrary to what some like to spread, it does not mix "anything" in a pancake puerh, and the mixture is first to balance sheets of age (size) and harvest separate so to increase the stability of production, and provide the tea taste better balance and optimum conditions of aging. Mixtures of quality may well come from unique terroirs and precise, and the different sheets in it have been worked with the same care.
Then the production and assembly puerh (Pu Er tea) end of the leaves is a subtle and complex art that requires extensive knowledge and long practice, many of which today are freed. As is the case in other areas such as wine, a large proportion of that found in the consumer and quality is very relative, and thus in the case of puerh (Pu Er tea) may be the result of haphazard assemblages that do not respect the tradition and quality of the product, but if one is to be attributed to the producer, their choices and capabilities, not the concept of mixing and recipe.

No, some cakes are made this way, it is quite normal. If you bought a worry, you did not cheated, unless the seller has told you that the cake was made only late grade, in which case the seller must be s' take but not the producer of the wafer.
A number of wafers, especially older, are assemblages of leaves. Different sheets, including sizes (grades) different, find themselves mixed in proportions finely defined. Some producers are content to mix the leaves evenly. Other finely assemble the leaves at the time of compression of the wafer so that the different grades are found in different areas of the wafer to sculpt both the aesthetics of the wafer and its properties improve with age. It is thus common to press the wafer so that the finest leaves are so graceful intermingling on the face of the wafer, which is regarded as a refinement especially in making the cake and not as a scam.

The question is not as simple as willing to believe different producers and sellers of tea, every wind that advocate the superiority of their teas called "100% handmade." In most cases this is also an argument totally free, said sellers who have no real way of knowing which way they offer leaves were worked, and today even in small villages Many farmers use machines, especially to make the Sha qing cha or Rou.
As usual, we imagine shots, one side of passionate craftsmen who work as the ancestors in front with the big factory and overalls. Stayed for some time among producers of several regions of Yunnan I can tell you that it's not quite what one sees and it seems important to review things, starting with the reality of "manual labor". While some perform well by choice, with care and passion, manual work of high quality, many farmers work primarily by hand out of spite, not having the means to equip themselves with power tools. In many of these smallholders tea is not a passion or real choice but an agricultural product like any other, and is grown and processed as they grow corn or rubber is harvested. The individual steps of tea are then often botched, fresh leaves stored too long, not regular fire, Sha qing too long or not enough, after dinner and made some shots too, sometimes in the same wok as that used to fry meat, charred leaves at the bottom of the wok, fag in mouth, which ends up in a wok filled with leaves (true), etc., and so on ... Maybe some will find the charm of the cottage industry, not me.
I am not defending the industry either, far from it, and I could draw the same kind of dramatic portrait of different plants that I visited, where the cleanliness and working methods beyond the imaginable , but I think it is necessary to refocus the issue on the quality of work and seriousness of the producer and not the supposed superiority of manual labor.
Make such a good Sha qing hand takes practice, a great control of his actions and the temperature of the wok (heated over a wood fire). Carried out by hand and fire it daily and Sha qing identically for several hours, with the same quality and the same regularity is something difficult and challenging that requires real expertise and rigor on the part of peasant. This latter is not able, for one reason or another, the quality of its tea, it will also craft much lower than it would have obtained, without more rigorous, with d a machine.
As so often what matters most is the quality of work and the rigor of the producer. Careful work, performed with skill, thoroughness, and some research development will provide a good tea, it is the result of careful manual work or tools used with good control. Against a rush job by the will without a doubt means if it is done mechanically, and very unsatisfactory if it is handmade.

This is indeed the traditional method of compression puerh. Still performed in some villages, in many small shops and even a number of factories, the majority of cakes market, especially blockbusters, are now pressed against using mechanized presses.
Different hybrid methods also exist, and try to combine tradition and mechanization in bringing the traditional stone in a mechanical process. Much progress has also been made in the mechanization of the press cakes. If in most cases the difference is obvious it is difficult in some cases to distinguish mechanically pressed cakes. Some producers finally, rare, practicing mechanical pressing, followed by a press to craft the stone, giving the double pressing patties characters from the two techniques.

This ancient belief, which has a lot of in shock has no basis truthful. It seems that the legend comes from Tibet, where the compressed puerh (Pu Er tea) arrived via the famous tea route and Horses. Different people (anthropologists, missionaries, etc ...) would thus collected information from Tibetans on the manufacturing processes of these bricks puerh. But the Tibetans interviewed had no idea of ​​the real manufacturing processes of brick Yunnan and Sichuan, and there have emerged the idea of ​​blood used to glue the sheets together.
In reality no additives are necessary to keep the tea leaves in their compressed form. Tea leaves in them having indeed quite viscous substance just pass them briefly years a vapor stream before compressing them and then letting them dry for them to take their final shape and guard.

Current belief in the West. A majority of consumers preferring Western tastes round, soft, soothing the bitterness and fear, is imported rather naturally fermented puerh (Pu Er tea) (Shu Cha) its gross counterpart (Cha Sheng). Off stores, where you will find not only crude but also puerh (Pu Er tea) puerh or older from different types of fermentation more or less natural, puerh (Pu Er tea) that typically found in the West, in supermarkets, salons tea or tea big names are almost exclusively puerh (Pu Er tea) (artificially) fermented, often of quite average.
The puerh (Pu Er tea) fermented tea is however a relatively recent and it appeared there's only thirty years. His counterpart crude, unfermented, not only a story and a much older tradition, but also in that form it is still today the most widely consumed and appreciated in Yunnan.

It is common that we hear these words from fans of one type or another of puerh. About endless (and uninteresting) it turns out that this is not only a matter of taste but also and especially a cultural and geographical. We do not drink in Yunnan puerh (Pu Er tea) almost as crude. The great wines and teas renowned products in recent years and are in their totallité unfermented teas, finest and rural flavor and the original plant.
Conversely it does not consume the puerh (Pu Er tea) practically only in its fermented form (be it a fermentation called natural or artificial) in Hong Kong and Taiwan, despite an increased consumption of raw puerh (Pu Er tea) recent years.
From a qualitative point of view the supporters of the gross advance puerh (Pu Er tea) rightly that is often used to make the puerh (Pu Er tea) fermented leaves of lower quality, less fine, or seasons considered "low" as the fall, that tends towards the devaluation of such puerh. Indeed the market is flooded with bad puerh (Pu Er tea) fermented, sold for a song especially for export and that the weakness of the fermentation is at the height of the deplorable quality of the leaves.
That said there are also very fine production of fermented puerh, where fermentation and assembling sheets are made with great subtlety and are emerging aromas of great richness. For the fermented puerh (Pu Er tea) is, contrary to what some are saying, a noble product, where you can excel, and not as a low-end product of crude puerh. Many elderly are particularly fermented puerh (Pu Er tea) recognized and highly sought amateurs, especially productions of old factories status from 70 to 90 years, and it is likely that the market for upscale puerh (Pu Er tea) fermented from worsening in coming years.

This idea comes from the appellation of "puerh cooked" sometimes used in French or English (cooked tea), rather clumsy and does not reflect the reality of making this tea. Cook, in French or English sense implies a transformation indeed produced by subjecting a food or something else to some heat (from outside). In this sense one could say for example that the roasted teas are cooked. But this is not the case of fermented puerh (Pu Er tea) whose transformation is the result of natural fermentation of the tea, in which no heat coming from the outside.
This misnomer of puerh (Pu Er tea) cooked , or cooked tea in English, comes from a simplistic and too quick translation of the appellation Chinese Cha Shu (熟 茶). Shu (熟) little indeed mean "cook" in Chinese to describe action to cook vegetables or rice. However Shu also means "wall" or the fact of reaching a certain maturity, like a ripe fruit. In this sense that a flat on fire is "cooked" in Chinese does not mean it was cooked by the fire but it is "medium", ready for consumption. And it is in this sense that we must take the word of Cha Shu (熟 茶), a tea that has reached the proper level of fermentation.

Several times I have heard that in France, and this idea is conveyed by such a big French retailer whose director was visibly traumatized by the puerh (Pu Er tea) fermented.
As its name implies, this type of tea undergone fermentation. Although each is different fermentation, and fermentation of different puerh (Pu Er tea) example of that of black tea (Chinese red) it remains a form of noble rot such as that at the origin of such black teas, wine or beer and can hit the sensitive visitor. However, anyone who would outline what happens in the fermentation tank of a brewery will demonstrate something infinitely more terrifying than what happens during fermentation of puerh (Pu Er tea) ... This will prevent the passage not to appreciate a good beer. Similarly while enjoying French blue cheese will have little reason to be a pile of shell puerh (Pu Er tea) during fermentation.
After what is against the truth, and is common to other forms of fermentation as that which occurs in brewing is that hygiene is an essential point, that without a perfect understanding of the fermentation process is an infection soon arrival, and that despite great progress in recent years a number of producers continue to produce puerh (Pu Er tea) fermented under relatively bad.

This myth is meant quite regularly, is particularly romanticized. If this was partially true for a time, according to the invention under the cover of the Chinese state of the art fermentation puerh, these techniques have since been made public, are known to many private producers and are now taught to future producers.
It is against true that many producers, particularly large industries puerh, are rather discreet on the subject and allow only rare visitors to attend the fermentation, but, as is the case of a number of plants, it takes more attribute this to the desire to keep a number of secrets to own the company, not a blanket secrecy concerning the fermentation of puerh. Each plant has its own methods, in fact, ways of working, their own tools, among others from which the character of fermented puerh (Pu Er tea) produced by individual producers, and this is why they prefer to keep their secrets. In a number of cases also, especially in small plants, fermentation puerh (Pu Er tea) is not quite done with hygiene, and this is why we prefer to hide from the customer than anything else .

The puerh (Pu Er tea) is traditionally recognized since ancient times, especially in China and Tibet, to promote digestion of a diet high in fat. Several recent scientific studies tend to show their hand at a real positive action of puerh (Pu Er tea) on the assimilation of fats, the fall in cholesterol, and the possible influence of consumption puerh (Pu Er tea) on weight loss.
Then these results were largely recovered by the industry and parapharmaceutical product vendors miracles, who like to present the tea as a commodity "eating fat" magic. If it is certain that regular consumption of puerh (Pu Er tea) may have a beneficial effect on his health, and, combined with a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet, encourage any loss of weight, does not constitute puerh (Pu Er tea) If a magic product that can nibble your fat while you sleep, especially if your diet is not suitable.
More sellers of miracle products that exploit the credulity and their clients are generally more attracted by profit than anything else and above all sell well fermented puerh (Pu Er tea) a very low end, and given their quality, you can issue considerable reservations about the true properties of such teas.

Belief by some proponents of distributed product BIO, including recovery of an article from the German Wikipedia, which is based in passing back and a quote from an article from 2004. The puerh (Pu Er tea) has no reason to either contain more chemical than other tea. On the contrary, a number of puerh (Pu Er tea) is produced from very old trees, fully integrated into a natural echo system in an environment free of chemicals. Besides these ancient trees growing number of producers use organic farming methods, in particular to increase the quality of their teas, or allow its export to avoid ruining their heritage.
For others, including all the puerh (Pu Er tea) intensive crops, the question is substantially the same as that of other Chinese teas. A number of abuses have been committed in recent years, especially during the Cultural Revolution or chemical fertilizers and insecticides have been widely promoted, then during the big boom of the early century puerh (Pu Er tea) where tea production in Yunnan exploded. One can for example remember that following the first European in 2000 on the reduction of pesticides and other chemicals in tea, imports of Chinese wulong to Europe have been reduced to almost zero, not one passing the threshold of the new standards. Following the tightening of European and Japanese standards, and various support measures has the Chinese government, the situation has gradually improved in particular in 2004 and 2005 and the Chinese standards are largely in line with European requirements.
All Chinese teas made after 2005 should, according to Chinese standards, to contain only very low levels of chemical residues. Provided of course that these teas follow these standards, many small producers most likely break, most of the remaining productions in the local market where it is easy to avoid controls.
For productions prior to 2004 and from intensive farming can therefore fear of high rates of chemical residues. If it is not too problematic for green teas and the majority of wulong, whose productions prior to 2005 have been drunk long ago, the question arises as to the effect puerh, which they drink teas old products especially between the 70s and the beginning of our century heyday of Agricultural Chemistry World. Note however that prices of teas for over 10 years, and more for those 20 or 30 years, it is not within reach of everyone to consume to be likely to encounter problems health of an abuse of chemistry.

This belief was particularly funny and widely propagated by certain media in Hong Kong and Taiwan in the 80s and until very recently. Always present in the minds of a number she happily tends to disappear today. Unfounded rumors were launched and disseminated to address the youth market puerh, and orchestrated at first (in the 80 and 90) by the Taiwanese wulong industry who saw a dim view of the new phenomenon around puerh (Pu Er tea) and the massive importation of puerh (Pu Er tea) from China and Hong Kong. These rumors returned in force during the great boom of the 2000s, this time orchestrated by Hong Kongers and Taiwanese actors of lucrative contracts teas old, who had then the vast majority of stocks puerh (Pu Er tea) older and tried every means to prevent the "phenomenon puerh" does not touch the new teas, whose production in the Chinese territory was also booming.

No less amusing, and without further foundation, this belief widely distributed during the big boom of puerh (Pu Er tea) is the Chinese during the previous belief and just a way to respond. Earlier this century, and especially puerh (Pu Er tea) market puerh (Pu Er tea) old, underwent exceptional growth, especially in Hong Kong and Taiwan, where the inflation was largely orchestrated and then where the majority of the stock of old teas. Buoyed by a promising market and rapid growth, prices quickly reach dizzying heights, and the sellers of these islands prosper.
Meanwhile on the Chinese mainland, where the majority of stocks of obsolete puerh (Pu Er tea) are long gone and where there helplessly what happens, we expect to surf puerh (Pu Er tea) this phenomenon, and production of young puerh (Pu Er tea) full swing. Tea tree is planted in quantity, and plants flourish here and there like mushrooms. Still using this new craze for puerh, came originally from Hong Kong and Taiwan and market-led former teas, to create a market for the young puerh. For this we start out by all kinds of studies attempting to show the benefits of consumption of juvenile puerh (Pu Er tea) health (some serious, some very romanticized). Meanwhile it is to advance the superiority of these young discrediting teas teas that older people eat in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Why drink such teas, not only expensive but completely rotten atmosphere unhealthy, potentially dangerous, then we in Yunnan, the same, healthy and just out of the producer?

This is the speech of some sellers. As I already mentioned the puerh (Pu Er tea) market comes only rarely from wild trees, to the best of old plantation trees. In the best cases these trees are pushing up the heart of the forest in a natural and varied, far from pollution pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and are de facto organic, although they generally have no label .
This is not true of all the tea gardens. Firstly if the ancient trees in general are free from this chemical is not a generally disrespectful and farmers will not hesitate to resort to chemistry in mature grounds, including weeding the ground or exploit the space between the trees to grow, intensively other plants such as corn or rubber.
But especially the shortcut between puerh (Pu Er tea) and old trees is often abusive. Most productions puerh (Pu Er tea) from young trees, some of which is intensively cultivated with a lot of chemistry, and if today is the Chinese standards are largely in line with European standards can not in any way consider these productions as BIO.

Basic argument often put forward to sell tea but not labelized supposed BIO. There are indeed numerous puerh (Pu Er tea) natural, grown in a completely organic that have no BIO label or because they come from small producers who can not afford such a certification, or because the producer's reputation and trust What our customers enough for him to sell his production and he feels no need to labéliser its teas. As is the case for wine, it would be difficult and very limiting for those who love to just puerh (Pu Er tea) products labeled organic.
However, there are many, and long, a number of puerh (Pu Er tea) labelized BIO, and today we see strong growth in the number of labeled products. One can for example include Haiwan Tea Factory or Mengku Shuangjiang, which to some extent with Menghai Tea Factory, are precursors of the BIO labeling. If the range of these products may be too limited for the amateur enthusiast or collector, they are in against a very good choice for the occasional drinker or regular drinker not seeking a wide selection of teas and wanted by cons s' ensure the biological origin of tea.

This belief comes mainly from areas where people eat a lot of old puerh (Pu Er tea) such as Malaysia, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The puerh (Pu Er tea) is a kind of tea "alive", which, as the wine evolves from year to year if stored in good conditions reached after 5 to 10 years for specific flavors teas which young and old puerh (Pu Er tea) not eligible. Become more refined aromas which then, for several decades.
For a number of fans puerh, particularly in the countries mentioned above, this is where lies the interest of this tea and puerh (Pu Er tea) must achieve this minimum maturity to be "oral". For these former supporters of tea, which is also wanted in a puerh, and sometimes even before the aroma, is also his qi, somehow the spirit of tea, and how it will vibrate with the drinker's , more common phenomenon and marked with the old teas with young teas.
That being said there is only a school, a specific culture of tea, and is not an absolute truth. The young puerh (Pu Er tea) is consumed since ancient times, particularly in China where the bulk of production is consumed in the early years, and, as is the case for wine, many fans appreciate puerh (Pu Er tea) young and old vintages products quality.
This belief of "minimum five years to be drinkable" has also been widely popularized during the great boom of puerh (Pu Er tea) by a number of sellers from Hong Kong and Taiwan, with the bulk of stocks puerh (Pu Er tea) ancient Chinese, and to avoid the expansion of the youth market puerh (Pu Er tea) Chinese.

This is a dream shared by many people, to the delight of producers as historical Menghai Tea Factory. Well unfortunately times have changed, either in methods of cultivation, and harvesting, but also work sheets and in most cases these producers are now far from what they had been in the past. The latest 7542 or 7572 for example, have changed from what they could be there when there's 20 years came out of factories.
Considerable increase in production, reduced quality of raw material used, changing working practices (including increasing the degree of fermentation of tea to get supplies faster), much reason to issue large reserves of capacity that 'have the latest vintages of these classics to improve the same way as their predecessors.

No, beyond extreme, it is quite possible to retain and to grow old puerh (Pu Er tea) the West. The concept of "climate of origin" of puerh (Pu Er tea) does indeed not make much sense. The puerh (Pu Er tea) occurred in southern Yunnan, in mountainous climates already be quite variable, between the clear tropical Xishuangbanna, Pu'er heights much more dry and hard, or areas of Lincang particularly fresh.
Now concerning the conditions of their storage, only in Yunnan, where the puerh (Pu Er tea) is consumed and stored for a long time, there's a huge contrast in climate between southern region, especially tropical and humid, the center , much drier and is stored where a majority of puerh (Pu Er tea) and north, especially dry and cold winters.
In addition the puerh (Pu Er tea) has also always exported so amazing and is consumed for a long time in climates as diverse as Beijing, Hong Kong, Tibet, and Malaysia! The influence of different climates is certain puerh (Pu Er tea) on Aging, and give different results, and an old aged tea in the humidity of Hong Kong will not have the aroma of a tea aged in Beijing. However, it is difficult to speak objectively of superior teas stored here and there, each of these regions or countries in general developed a habit of taste around the surrounding climate and therefore prefer since the aromas of storage "local".

This is a view held by some fans and vendors, mainly from these three regions for some time is the big market puerh (Pu Er tea) old. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia, and although fairly remote Yunnan indeed a special and influential in the history of modern puerh. Not only consumers and enthusiasts since puerh (Pu Er tea) (relatively) long in these regions with high purchasing power, have particularly developed puerh (Pu Er tea) aging and old tea market, especially in recent years. As a result of this and for different reasons too long to develop as part of this article, the vast majority of stocks puerh (Pu Er tea) recent decades are now, where have stayed at one point or another, in Hong Kong or Taiwan, where the climate is humid, especially in summer, which suggests to some that these storage conditions are needed to obtain good puerh (Pu Er tea) older. The situation is not that simple.
Consumers Hong Kongers have indeed always appreciated and consumed tea puerh (Pu Er tea) "dark", ie post-fermented, and therefore have developed since the 50 techniques, which are called "wet storage" for accelerate and control the post-fermentation tea puerh (Pu Er tea) to get a quick puerh (Pu Er tea) "dark". And that some attribute to erroneously high natural humidity of Hong Kong or Taiwan, is in fact often the result of an artificial accelerated fermentation, traditionally practiced in Hong Kong and incorrectly called "wet storage".
The vast majority of puerh (Pu Er tea) over 20 years and have gone through a phase of "wet storage" in Hong Kong, and have developed flavors accordingly. While some swear by the character and qi such teas, they are not unanimous and many lovers, collectors and specialized, longer lean in favor of natural storage puerh (Pu Er tea) tea.
Now it is natural that such storage conditions also play an important role and that the same puerh (Pu Er tea) stored 20 years in Taiwan, Malaysia, Beijing, Yunnan, in France or Canada will develop a different character.
But unlike wine, which was fixed to a certain extent under optimal conditions with aging, there are different schools about the storage puerh. Some prefer the aroma from a slower maturation and placed in a drier atmosphere, and what else prefer the caractèer puerh (Pu Er tea) stored in a more humid air. Choosing a storage wetter or drier thus remains relatively subjective, depends primarily on the drinker's taste buds and habits of the country where he lives. For indeed we note that consumers generally prefer the flavors of puerh (Pu Er tea) teas aging in their countries, whether in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and China.
Finally we must also qualify the question of the true influence of external climatic conditions of any country on Aging puerh. Indeed in the case of a professional storage warehouse, for example in order to age a lot of puerh (Pu Er tea) to sell it later, the conditions that tea will suffer generally well related to external conditions. The situation is however different in the case of a natural storage "at home" or in a teahouse. Indeed, although the climate in Hong Kong for example is particularly wet summer, it is rare for Hong Kong people live with 90 humidity in their apartment, or raining inside the teahouse. So finally we see that in many cases the storage conditions of teas stored "at home" among fans of Hong Kong or Taiwan are quite similar to what we can see in the West.
And say as it is sometimes a need to puerh (Pu Er tea) extreme climates such as Hong Kong or Taiwan to age properly and can not be stored in any country is ultimately more a party than a reality.

This is an aberration that I have to my astonishment heard some time in France. The puerh (Pu Er tea) needs to be kept in contact with air and in a ventilated space, in order to age properly. This is particularly why the cakes are packed in porous papers, traditionally stored in a stack (pancakes of 7) surrounded by a non-sealed in bamboo leaves, and that aerate the stock puerh.
Certainly the land of Yixing has some air permeability, but this one will always be infinitely less facing the permeability of the paper or bamboo tong, and thus put his cakes in jars closed, can only at best dramatically slow the aging process. Moreover the failure to renew the air inside the jar may contribute to the stifling of tea (puerh is alive and needs to breathe), see if excess moisture to mold growth on the surface.
This belief is not only unfounded but dangerous for tea, and it is far better to keep your patties in their original paper (or packed in paper and similar porous), simply look in their tong origin, or failing in boxes of woven bamboo or cardboard pierced, provided of course that the latter is absolutely free from odor.
This being said the jar is a good option to store puerh (Pu Er tea) bulk or patties made in bulk.

No. First put in a jar puerh (Pu Er tea) has an influence on tea and change its character, like putting a wine decanter will affect this one, but there is nothing higher in itself. The setting is especially practiced jar to "wake up" an old puerh (Pu Er tea) (stored in cake), a few weeks before starting to eat it. One can also decide to put in a young puerh (Pu Er tea) jar, in particular to accelerate aging.
He then there's a big misunderstanding about the role of land in the influence of a storage jar. Puerh in a jar will age differently, and in some ways more quickly, primarily by what he has been "unzipped". And extracted their cake, original brick or tuo, leaves, or small piles of leaves, have a much greater contact with air which can significantly accelerate their aging while leaving mingle and soak up the aromas of different leaves, and this is the very reason of a storage jar ... provided of course that enough air gets into the jar. If the earth does have a certain porosity, it remains lower face for example the paper or woven bamboo, and we will therefore ensure its regular airing puerh (Pu Er tea) jars (opening them) if we want to allow proper aging tea (this that the transition will little real influence on the porosity of the earth).

No. Yixing became known for his land and teapots shaped with those below. The composition of the land of Yixing teapots gives including the ability to climb at high temperatures making them particularly suitable for the infusion of some teas like puerh (Pu Er tea) or wulong.
Just as there's a great them "phenomenon puerh" the land of Yixing teapots have enjoyed great popularity, to gradually establish itself as a standard, almost all Chinese tea lovers around the world in general with at least one of these teapots (whatever its quality), and is also accompanied by a sharp rise in prices of Yixing teapots.
By extension, and with the success of Yixing teapots are made so any type of objects in this land, cups and Gaiwan, small sculptures of various animals and varied that adorn the tea table, through the jars for storing the tea. But we must remember that if Yixing became known primarily for it's capacity of this land to produce good tea, including the issue has little to do with that of a jar puerh. It there's such little chance that you wanted to cook your puerh (Pu Er tea) in its jar, and at 99 degrees and very good thermal properties of good land in Yixing will be very useful to store on the puerh. What one might expect from cons of such a jar would be a maximum porosity of the soil to allow proper ventilation of tea, that does not offer such land Yixing.
As a result, are produced in Yixing earthenware jars especially for cultural and aesthetic Yixing land being returned for a long time in the history and aesthetics of tea, but it adds nothing to objectively better than another floor when the conservation of puerh.

Or, China, rice, suggesting it is ... This idea actually comes from the term "rice paper" which strictly speaking should not designate that the papers made from rice, or rather of the plant which is the cause, but whose meaning has gradually derivative and today refers in French any very thin and usually made from plant extracts.
If so you could possibly say that puerh (Pu Er tea) patties are made of rice paper, this paper is a priori not produced from rice. The best papers to cake, crafts, are made from tree bark and to be porous, thus leaving the patties breathe. Wearing such a paper to his mouth and exhaling slowly we appreciate her more or less air porosity. More and more producers are looking to now, however, industrial papers, sometimes very good, sometimes of poor quality, not porous enough, or containing chemicals ...

From the site of a major brand of French tea, that is incorrect. The cakes are packed puerh (Pu Er tea) by September in what is called a tong , but the latter is made of bamboo leaves dry and not banana.

Taken this time the book into English by Chan Kam Pong, but also quite common on Chinese websites, this is another example of the countless that use ethnic minorities of Yunnan to add a layer of the exotic to the history of tea puerh. Some texts go further by describing a supposed legend of one of these ethnic minority (which by no cons gives the name) with a prosperous family of seven children, each of which possesses a cake of tea.
It is true that tradition, Chinese, package cakes puerh (Pu Er tea) by seven in a thong, but also compress patties 7 liang (357 grams) dates back to the Qing Dynasty and dates at least from 1735, although that it is not an established standard strictly before 1949.
The choice of the number seven seems to come from more practical considerations related to taxes and transportation than anything else, the seven, four as being in Chinese culture the relative numbers of death and avoided rather a symbolic point of view . And more especially the link to the cultures of ethnic minorities of hazardous and is very. It must be remembered that not only ethnic minorities in Yunnan do not hurry, not commercialized, and did not eat the cakes of tea, but more importantly that their culture and beliefs were despised by the Han Chinese who held and controlled the tea market. That they have chosen the package teas according to their ethnic groups in Yunnan is unthinkable.
Finally, while some producers out their cakes conditioned by seven during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), these do not in themselves apellaient time Beeng Tse Chi Cha, and not even cake (bing) but tea round (Yuan Cha). The term Yunnan Tse Chi Cha Beeng (September patties son Yunnan) comes when his 70s and was promoted by the factories of the communist state at the same time they standardisèrent seven patties by tong.