The Bana Guide to Pu-erh Tea
Pu-erh is a tea with unusual depth and complexity. Its character is shaped not only by cultivar, terroir, harvest, and processing, but also by time and storage. A young raw Pu-erh can express the character of the mountain and season in which it was made, while decades of aging can transform a tea in remarkable and sometimes unexpected ways.
Bana Tea Company has specialized in Pu-erh since 2008. This guide brings together what we have learned through years of tasting, sourcing, selecting, aging, and studying Pu-erh, including the writings of Bana's founder, Linda Louie, and knowledge shared by the farmers, producers, collectors, and tea experts with whom we have worked.
Whether you are encountering Pu-erh for the first time or have been drinking it for years, explore the topics below to learn how Pu-erh is made, how to evaluate it, how origin and old-tree material influence its character, and how storage and time transform the tea.
New to Pu-erh
Begin with the fundamentals: what Pu-erh is, how raw and ripe Pu-erh differ, and how this unusual tea is made.
Choosing & Appreciating Pu-erh
Learn what Bana looks for in a tea—from origin and leaf material to aroma, mouthfeel, finish, body feel, and the experience of successive infusions.
Aging & Storage
Explore what happens as Pu-erh ages, why storage matters, and how young and aged teas can offer very different experiences.
History & Culture
Explore the people, places, and traditions that shaped Pu-erh, from Yunnan to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
From the Tea Mountains
Firsthand stories about the places, people, and traditions behind Bana's teas.
All Pu-erh Articles
My First Trip to the Tea Mountain
March 16, 2008, by Linda Louie, founder of Bana Tea Company. My first trip to tea mountain was memorable. We drove over 600 kilometers from Kunming to Jinghong, the main...
My First Trip to the Tea Mountain
March 16, 2008, by Linda Louie, founder of Bana Tea Company. My first trip to tea mountain was memorable. We drove over 600 kilometers from Kunming to Jinghong, the main...
Pu-erh Tea FAQs
Q: What is Pu-erh Tea?A: Pu-erh tea is a “post-fermented tea.” According to its official definition, Pu-erh tea must be made: 1) from the broad leaf variety tea leaf indigenous to Yunnan...
Pu-erh Tea FAQs
Q: What is Pu-erh Tea?A: Pu-erh tea is a “post-fermented tea.” According to its official definition, Pu-erh tea must be made: 1) from the broad leaf variety tea leaf indigenous to Yunnan...
Tea Mastery - Old Trees
Is It From Old Tea Trees or Not? In recent years, teas made from the centuries old arbor tea trees (or ancient tea trees) have become highly sought after and...
Tea Mastery - Old Trees
Is It From Old Tea Trees or Not? In recent years, teas made from the centuries old arbor tea trees (or ancient tea trees) have become highly sought after and...
Pressing Tea Cakes
Long ago, when Pu-erh tea was transported by horse caravan to Tibet and other far away provinces, it was compressed for the purpose of easy transport. Today, the need for...
Pressing Tea Cakes
Long ago, when Pu-erh tea was transported by horse caravan to Tibet and other far away provinces, it was compressed for the purpose of easy transport. Today, the need for...