gong ting puerh

Fresh From Origin

With its roots in Yunnan Province, China, Pu Erh was originally made using large-leaf tea trees thousands of years ago. Named for the from which it was traded while on route to other countries, Pu Erh City. Pu Erh was typically compressed into bricks or cakes to allow for easier trading, aging and fermenting along the way.

According to record, it was during the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907) when merchants began packing loose tea leaves into compressed bricks. These bricks of tea were easier to transport by pack animals than cumbersome loose leaf tea. Due to the length of distances and arduous terrain, it would be months or years before the tea would reach its destination. Throughout that journey, a rather extraordinary thing would occur. The tea would transform. Not only did the color of the tea change, but the flavor of the tea evolved to be richer, fruitier and smoother. We know now that the aging initiated a fermentation process whereby microbes acted on the tea, causing biological and enzymatic changes. The resulting tea, known to the Chinese as Pu-erh, became highly prized by royalty and the elite classes, then by tea connoisseurs; not only for its distinct taste but also for its reported medicinal qualities.

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