PU'ER HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND ITS HEALTH BENEFITS

Dear valued visitors,


To have a better understanding and appreciation of Pu'er tea, it is good to know some of its historical background and its health benefits.


I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND


Yunnan province in China is a famous producer of Pu'er. It has been known as a medical tea, which claims that it heals certain illness. Its history can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618AD to 906AD) and was a favorite tea amongst the noblemen at that time.


It had been used as a form of currency in China over a few centuries and an important international trading commodity before. It had also been used as a form of currency in the South East Asia in the early of 1930. At one time, it was well known even in the Northern Canada amongst the northern natives, who were trading across the Bering Strait.


Pu’er tea derives its name from the town of Pu'er trading, where it was originally processed and traded. However, its trees were planted at the Nuoshan Mountains. A long distant from each other and the tea leaves were transported by horses. As a result the unique taste of Pu’er Tea was discovered during the long journey. Coupled with the humid conditions, its leaves began to ferment and released a strong, fragrant aroma, which the people there found it pleasant. Since then a special technique of tea fermenting was developed and Pu’er was thus created. This secret of Pu’er tea process has been kept in China for centuries.


These tea leaves are usually chosen and picked from a special broad-leaf tea tree, which is closely related to ancient prehistorical tea trees. These leaves would then go through two types of fermentation, which will result in its uniqueness characteristic of a mild, but distinctively earthy flavour.


Pu’er requires a minimum of 10 years to mature and gets better with age. Pu’er tea is very much like fine wine, which become smoother and more balanced with age. Pu’er tea is very much lower in tannins than other teas due to its unique processing method.

II. HEALTH BENEFITS


Pu’Er tea has been claimed to have healing power for certain diseases since the Tang Dynasty.


Modern medical science has recently shown that the health benefits of Pu’er tea may be more than just Chinese folklore.


Other scientific findings from France, Japan and China that it may help to reduce:-

a) cholesterol level in the blood stream
b) body weight
c) high blood pressure
d) heart ailments; liver diseases as a result of high saturated fat diets
e) the toxic of the liver


More over its findings also shown that it may prevent:-


a) intestinal infection, digestive problems and constipation
b) the formation of cancer cells in the body due to its anti-oxidants


I like to end here and see you again,




James Oh