Pu-erh Tea

Shou pu-erh belongs after meals, sheng in the morning after food. Why the two kinds need different hours and share the same caffeine cut-off.

Sheng pu-erh keeps 100 to 150 mg of catechins per gram, shou keeps very few. Why the 1973 ripe process changed the leaf chemistry completely.

Chinese medicine classes ripe pu-erh as warm and raw pu-erh as cool, turning neutral as it ages. Why one category contains two opposite natures.

Pu-erh studies concentrate on ripe tea, gut bacteria and blood lipids, with small samples and short durations. What they show and what they cannot.

Pu-erh does not melt fat, older is not always better, and wet storage is not a defect. Six common claims tested against what is actually known about it.

Young sheng irritates an empty stomach, wet-stored cakes can carry mold, and caffeine is present in both. Who should choose ripe tea instead.

Ripe pu-erh suits cold constitutions and heavy meals, raw pu-erh suits warm ones. Daily amounts by group and how to choose between the two kinds.

Sheng and shou pu-erh look similar outside and taste nothing alike. Compare processing, taste, ageing potential, price and which to start with.

Pu-erh is fermented tea from Yunnan, sold raw or ripe. Learn how the two differ, why cakes are pressed, and how to brew both without astringency.