Special features in location, cultivation and processing
The production of Pu Erh follows a specific process, beginning with the harvest season in late March or early April. The leaves are always picked by hand; for particularly tall tea trees, ladders are set up to reach the more remote branches. For high-quality grades such as this, only the bud and the first two leaves are plucked. Harvesting takes place in the early morning through to midday.
As the trees grow some distance from the village centre, the leaves are collected in large bamboo baskets and then transported back to the tea farmer. There, the leaves are spread out to wither. Depending on the weather conditions, this takes place either outdoors in the open air or indoors under shelter. The leaves are laid out on withering trays and dried with the aid of fans, or outside in the sun on cloths. The withering process lasts several hours, during which moisture gradually evaporates from the leaves, preparing them for the next step of heating and shaping.
The halting of oxidation (“kill green”) is carried out in large woks traditionally fired with wood. Batches of around 1 kg are roasted for 30–45 minutes and turned regularly throughout. This step is similar to that used in the production of conventional green tea, with the key difference that the heat applied is somewhat lower. Not all of the enzymes responsible for oxidation are eliminated during this process, allowing the tea to continue ageing under the influence of enzymatic activity. This ongoing transformation in flavour is one of the great distinctive qualities of Sheng Pu Erh.
After roasting, the leaves are rolled mechanically in a specialised rolling machine. This replicates the original artisanal technique, in which the leaves were tightly rolled by hand into balls and pressed firmly over woven bamboo mats. During this process, the cell walls of the leaves are gently broken down and the tea juices are released.
As the leaves are still very moist after rolling, they must be dried once more, either outdoors or indoors in wet weather.
In the final stage, the leaves are shaped into their spherical form. They are briefly steamed to make them pliable, then weighed and portioned before being rolled by hand into small tea balls. Finally, the tea undergoes a last stage of drying.
Centuries-Old Pu Erh Trees
The tea plants used for Pu Erh are indigenous, large-leaf varieties that are traditionally cultivated in a semi-wild manner. Unlike the conventional tea plants most widely grown around the world, the Pu Erh cultivar does not grow as a low shrub but as a tree, capable of living for several thousand years. Scientific study suggests that this cultivar is the common ancestor of all other types of tea. It is native to the four-border region of China, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, with the Chinese part located in Yunnan province. As the earliest attempts at cultivating tea are most closely associated with Yunnan’s history, the people of Yunnan fondly refer to their homeland as the “cradle of all tea”. In Yunnan’s tea forests, no two tea trees are alike. Each develops its own individual growth pattern and is covered with distinct mosses and fungal cultures, meaning that every tree produces its "own" unique tea. The older the tree, the deeper its roots extend into the earth and into deep layers of rock and stone, allowing it to absorb minerals and trace elements that are then passed on to the leaves and buds. For this reason, teas from these wild-growing ancient tea trees are considered especially precious and are highly sought after.
