This Pu-Erh from Yunnan province is famous within and without China for its health-giving properties. Yunnan teas are referred to as one of China's 'Noble' varieties. This King of Pu-Erh black tea has been skilfully hand worked with lots of tips. The leaves are collected and then stored in large piles whilst fermenting, these are covered keeping them moist with occasional turning. They can be covered for up to 60 days. This method of production is referred to as Shou. Shou tea uses the larger leaved Camellia sinensis ‘Assamica’ and is different from the raw Pu-Erh called Sheng Pu-Erh. Sheng Pu-Erh undergoes a much slower fermentation process with some Sheng Pu-Erh claiming to be decades old. Sheng Pu-Erh is compressed into cakes and usually wrapped in rice paper then sold dated.
Pu-Erh tea is generally considered to be helpful in weight loss with quite a few famous people putting their name to it as a diet aid. This Needle tea is of very high quality, with a distinct flavour.
