Where to start Pu-erh tea as a beginner
A frequently asked question by Pu-erh (Puerh or Puer) tea beginners is: where should I start? (Raw or ripened? Young or aged? Loose or cakes? etc.)
Tea selection is like any food, highly personal. There are however a few considerations that the beginners can take to avoid paying high learning costs:
- Start from a small amount: loose, mini nuggets or even some mini cakes or bricks offer the opportunity to sample small volume without committing into the standard 357g full size cakes
- There are generally two clans of Pu-erh teas: raw (Sheng 生) and ripened (Shou 熟). (Please visit this page for more info on these two varieties: pu-erh tea, raw or ripened). I would recommend a raw (sheng) pu-erh to start if you are more a green tea drinker, or a ripened (Shou) if black tea is preferred.
- Similar to premium wine tasting, it can take some time to appreciate the subtle differences. I would therefore not recommend starting from the top of the range. On the other hand however, I would not recommend starting from a very cheap tea either in case you get put off before you have really started, as price is mostly a reflection of the quality.
- Ask for samples if possible (Valley Green Tea offers: free samples). Try before purchase.
- Join a discussion group (eg https://www.facebook.com/groups/puerhtealovers ) , ask any question you may have. It is a great way to learn and it does not cost anything.
