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Pantenger organic Puerh is produced from large, broad tea leaves from Xishuangbana, the home of the best Puerh teas in China. This crop was harvested in 2013 and has been kept under ideal conditions to promote fermentation. Like great wine, Puerh tea will grow in aroma and flavor over time.
Pantenger raw Pu-erh or Sheng Pu’erh is now light and sweet and has a green grapes aroma. The leaves have already darkened in color. This is expected from a 7 year-old great Puerh. With time, if the tea is kept in good storage conditions, it will become earthy and robust.
Fermentation is the chemical reaction of the tea leaves caused by live micro organisms (bacteria). In controlled temperature and humidity conditions, bacteria in Puerh teas can live up to 80 years. The flavor profile of the tea changes over time, from a bitter and astringent when it is young, to light and sweet in its mid-life and earthy and robust from around its 15th year.
Puerh teas are used by the Chinese to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides. It is also drunk during or after meals to relieve indigestion and it helps to reduce weight.
Spectacular political, cultural and economic growth was achieved by Tibet in the 7th Century. King Songstän Gampo united Tibet politically and established the most important trade route in the Ancient World with China.
More than 3,000 miles of trails connected Yunnan to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. The trail from Puerh to Lhasa lasted 6 months by horse or mule across the tropical jungles of Yunnan to the high, constantly snow-covered Himalayan mountains.
Tea from Yunnan was pressed into bricks and placed in a bamboo package. During the long trail, the tea absorbed moisture from the atmosphere and heat from the back of the horses, the ideal conditions for the tea to start fermenting.
The Tibetans’ diet was poor in vegetables and fruit, which barely grew at high altitude and in extreme weather conditions. They discovered that fermented tea worked miracles on the digestion. Yak butter and salt was added to the tea and soon it became part of the everyday diet.
In exchange for the tea, the Tibetans paid the Chinese with their strong, horses, which were raised on the Tibetan plateau and could endure the conditions there well. The horses were needed by the military to protect the north-west Chinese borders from the Mongols.
The tea and horse trade between China and Tibet lasted for almost 1300 years. The development of transportation in the 20th Century made horses redundant.
Puerh tea is now traded the world over for its health benefits and extravagant flavor. A long-aged Puerh tea can cost several thousand dollars and many oriental business men safeguard them as an investment.
The right amount of tea is 1 teaspoon (2 to 3 grams) / 6 Fl. Oz. of water (200°F).
