The older the Pu’er tea, the better.

Pu'er tea has a tradition of "making new tea and drinking old tea", and is considered to become more fragrant with age. But from a food safety perspective, Pu'er tea does not get better with age.

The best shelf life of Pu'er tea is only about 10 years. The concept of 'the older it gets, the more fragrant it becomes' only applies within the shelf life. If stored improperly, the best shelf life will be shortened accordingly.

Extended information:

1. Storage of Pu'er tea:

Storage of Pu'er tea is very particular. High temperature and humid environment can easily cause mildew, so if you want to taste it To preserve the aroma of Pu'er tea, it should be stored in a ventilated and cool environment at 20°C to 30°C, with a humidity of less than 75%, and should be isolated from food with peculiar smell to prevent Pu'er tea from absorbing the smell.

If there are water stains on the paper bag of Pu'er tea, the tea cakes are frosted, have moldy spots or have a musty smell, and the tea soup is not clear after brewing, it may have gone bad and it is recommended not to drink it.

2. Brewing Pu'er tea:

Most Pu'er tea is drunk every other year or even several years later. It is easy to deposit tea powder and dust. Wash the tea before brewing. Put the tea leaves into a small tea bowl or purple clay pot, pour 100°C boiling water, and pour out the water after 10 to 20 seconds. This not only filters out the impurities of the tea leaves, but also makes the subsequent tea soup more fragrant.

Boiling water should also be used when brewing. The ratio of tea leaves to water is 1:30. Raw Pu'er tea is resistant to brewing and can be brewed for about 10 times in a row. Cooked tea is brewed less frequently. The specific situation depends on the brewing method. It’s related to the amount and soup making time.

Pu'er tea is mostly compressed type, and the tea leaves are often not fully expanded during the second brew, so the essence should start from the third brew. Generally, the third to fifth brew is when Pu'er tea tastes best. If it is aged tea bricks or tea cakes, you should first use a tea knife to remove some of the tea leaves and let them sit in a ventilated place for two weeks before brewing them for better taste.

People's Daily Online - Pu'er tea does not get better with age: the shelf life is about ten years, and it is prone to mildew if stored improperly