Preservation length for Pu-erh tea

“The older, the more fragrant”is a catchphrase describing Pu-erh tea and also its most intriguing feature. But what is its maximum storage limit,10 years or 50 years? This is difficult even for an expert to answer. Pu-erh tea(raw tea) is more val-uable as it grows”older”and is better in quality with age. But like everything, it is governed by certain laws. After full matu-rity, the fragrance of the tea will start to deteriorate. So,”the older, the more fragrant”would not stand good. The Jingua (golden melon) tribute tea on display at the Forbidden City is about 200 years old, and its tea liquid is said to be wonderful but the flavor is not fragrant or tasty.

There is no definite time limit for the best preservation length of Pu-erh tea. Opinions vary according to the tea quali-ty, processing techniques, preserving environment, taste of the drinker and so on. Pu-erh tea has caught the fancy of modern man merely in the last decade or so. Although there are differ-ent types of Pu-erh tea claimed to be 20,30, or occasionally 80 years old,80 years is still just a short period in the long history of humanity. So it is hard to calculate the optimum preserva-tion period of Pu-erh tea as precisely as that of a French red wine. But we believe we are close to unveiling this mystery.

With Pu-erh tea, does it really matter if fermentation is perfect or not?A true tea lover need not necessarily drink only the best fermented tea, rather appreciate the various types of tea. Consider”the older, the more fragrant”to be a spiritual pursuit and longing for the special taste of Pu-erh tea.

qingquang

See author's posts