Description
Pu-erh tea is also known as red tea and comes from Pu’er in Yunnan, China. It is an unusual tea in China, which is the largest producer of red or pu-erh tea in the world. Unlike other teas that are usually drunk after harvesting, the fermentation process of this variety of Camellia Sinensis can take from 2 to 60 years in oak barrels, which causes the leaves to reach a coppery colour and, therefore, the infusion as well.
Use and properties
It has become popular in the western world because of its low caffeine content and its supposed fat-blasting properties. As a result, it has come to be known as a ‘fat eater’. Genuine pu-erh red tea contains very little caffeine precisely because of its fermentation.
Among the properties attributed to it are the following:
- Stimulates digestion of rich foods
- Decreases fat levels
- Prevents and lowers LDL cholesterol
- Benefits liver metabolism
- Stimulates the secretion of digestive glands
- Prevents infections
- Detoxifies and purifies
- Boosts the immune system
