Pu’er or pu-erh is a variety of fermented tea produced in the Yunnan province of China. Fermentation in the context of tea production involves microbial fermentation and oxidation of the tea leaves, after they have been dried and rolled. This process is a Chinese specialty and produces tea known as 黑茶 hēichá (literally, ‘black tea’) commonly translated as ‘dark tea’.Pu-erh tea (also commonly known as ‘puer,’ ‘pu’er,’ ‘po lei’ and ‘bolay’ tea, and known as ‘dark tea’ or ‘black tea’ in China) is a semi-rare type of tea that is made in Yunnan, China. In the West, pu-erh tea is known for its health benefits, but there are many misconceptions about pu-erh’s flavor, processing, and other attributes.Pu-erh tea can be purchased as loose leaf tea or in solid forms such as bricks, cakes and balls. If your pu-erh tea is the loose leaf variety, simply prepare as you would any other loose leaf tea. If your pu-erh tea comes in a brick, cake or ball, break off small amounts depending on how many cups you are making.Pu-erh tea contains antioxidants, which can help prevent damage caused by free radicals.If left unchecked, free radicals can lead to disease and illness. Drink a cup of pu-erh any time you need a …”I like to drink red tea / black tea” Black teas differ greatly by region. It’s a little harder to find a one to one comparison between black teas and puerh. Ailao Shan is a mountain in Yunnan whose characteristic is very much like a floral black tea for me. You’ll need to experiment.Depending on the variety, the color of the brewed tea can be pale yellow, golden, red, or dark brown. Some brewed pu-erh varieties look like coffee and taste very earthy, but connoisseurs often dismiss these as low quality. You can reuse good quality tea leaves several times; tea lovers say that the subsequent infusions taste better and better.Pu’erh tea is very smooth in taste, and can be even darker than black tea. This is a naturally fermented tea, and, if stored properly, the older the tea, the better the flavor. Black Pu’erh teas contain about 60–70 milligrams of caffeine per 8 oz cup, and Green Pu’erh yields about 30–40 milligrams of caffeine for the same sized serving.Pu-erh tea is considered a fermented tea, and it’s color is a deep reddish-brown tone. The taste is mellow and earthy. There are many ways in which to brew Pu-erh tea, and in the following example we will brew “ripe” Pu-erh tea as it is the easiest to brew.