Classification of Pu-erh Tea
2 min readDifferences give rise to classifications. Pu-erh tea can be classified according to many different guiding principles, among which the following principles are the most popular and closely related to the tea drinkers.
Raw Pu-erh tea cake
Processed Pu-erh tea cake
|.Popular Classification of Pu-erh Tea
1.According to the processing technique：Raw tea and processed tea
Raw tea
As mentioned before，raw tea refers to the sun-baked green crude tea（loose tea）that is made from the fresh tea leaves of the Yunnan big-leaf trees that are heated，twisted and aired before compressing into different shapes.
It is known as crude tea for its simple processing.It is also called Yunnan raw tea for its place of origin.Raw Pu-erh tea is much stronger in taste and property than other types of tea trees.
Raw Pu-erh tea from good raw material，naturally fer-mented under correct temperature and humidity for 5-10 years or even 20一30 years，is best.The strong tea is softened and its taste becomes mellow.
Tea lovers derive genuine spiritual enjoyment from tast-ing this tea.
Raw tea cake
Raw tea liquid
The dry raw tea is dark green in color. The tea liquid is yellowishgreen and a little astringent in taste. This may cause a new drinker’s tongue and throat to tighten and some digestive discomfort.
Processed Tea
Raw tea turns into processed tea either through natural fermentation over time or pile fermentation (artificial fermen-tation), which takes much less time. Although both are of simi-lar quality, the demand for the latter is greater. The artificially fermented tea becomes more stable in its property after a little storage and is a good choice for a daily drink.
High-quality dry processed tea is brownish-red or deep maroon. The tea liquid is clear and dark red. The taste is smooth and mellow with a sweet aftertaste. The processed tea is mild and most suitable for middle-aged and senior tea drinkers. It is also good for people with digestive problems, high cholesterol or blood pressure.
