Pu'er tea cakes have no shelf life. If the tea cakes are found to have gone bad, they are no longer drinkable.

The best drinking period of Pu'er tea: 10-25 years for raw tea and 8-15 years for cooked tea.

Pu'er tea is a large tree, up to 16 meters high, with slightly hairy twigs and white pubescent top buds. The leaves are thin and leathery, elliptical, the upper surface is brownish-green after drying, slightly glossy, the lower surface is light green, there are pubescence on the middle rib, and the rest is pubescent, and the old leaves become bald; there are 8-9 pairs of lateral veins, which are obvious on the upper surface. Flowers axillary, pubescent. Bracts 2, caducous. Sepals 5, nearly round, glabrous outside.

Pu'er tea is mainly produced in Xishuangbanna, Lincang, Pu'er and other areas of Yunnan Province. Pu'er tea pays attention to brewing techniques and the art of drinking. There are many ways to drink Pu'er tea, which can be drunk neat or mixed. Pu'er tea has a rich orange-yellow soup, a sharp and long-lasting aroma, a unique aroma, a rich taste, and is durable for brewing for a long time.