Puerh tea is a post-fermented tea produced from the Yunnan province; it is known to preserve and enhance its quality through aging. Aged puerh forms a mellow flavor and taste. The tea leaves originate from the Si Mao and Xishuangbanna area in Southern Yunnan – a region in a tropical and wet climate with high levels of plants diversity. The most famous specie of Puerh tea tree, known as the Yunnan Dayezhong (Big leaf specie), is a type of wildly grown Puerh from the area that benefits from the climate, and tends to develop better quality.
The process of making Puerh is distinguished by two methods - raw or cooked. The raw method is a naturally oxidization process in which the tea colour and the unique mellow taste gradually formed and fortified depending on the length of aging and storage environment; the cooked process goes through an artificial fermentation cycle, which allows it to be consumed without aging. After 45-60 days of fermentation, the tea colour turns brownish red and the taste becomes mellow and smooth.
For transportation purposes, Puerh tea is generally compressed into different shapes. The most common forms are in cake, brick or tuo shape. Puerh has a mild nature in the view of Chinese medicine, which promotes the health of spleen and stomach.