Types of Pu Erh

Pu-erh Tea can be divided into two distinct categories, Green Pu-erh and Black Pu-erh: Green Pu-erh (Also known as “Raw” or “Un-Cooked” Pu-erh): This is the oldest type of Pu-erh and before the 1970’s most Pu-erh was of the green process type. Within the Green Pu-erh category we find various grades of loose leaf sun-dried green teas made with Yunnan’s broad leaf varietals. These are generally sold as “Saiqing Mao Cha” or for the manufacturing of compressed Green or Black Pu-erh. The more reserve grades of sun-dried green tea or “Saiqing” consist of pure leaf sprouts and buds known as “Saiqing Ya Cha” which are sorted out of “Saiqing Mao Cha” by hand. In some cases, only the buds and tender leaf shoots are plucked from the tea trees to make “Saiqing Ya Cha” or “bud tea”. Both “Saiqing Mao Cha” and “Saiqing Ya Cha” are found in loose leaf styles but most is used to make compressed Green Pu-erh or fermented for Black Pu-erh. Most Green Pu-erh is of the compressed type and available in many interesting shapes such as large round tea cakes that look like ancient money like our Green Pu-erh Tea Cake.