Pursuing Puerh

Have you ever tried Puerh tea? This is a Chinese tea known for its earthy taste and deep red color. I've tried some Puerh from Upton tea that I really enjoyed, figuring that my personal "tea education" ought to be a little more adventurous than simply adding a new fruity flavored tea to my collection.

Once again I have Puerh tea on the brain thanks to the new issue of The Art of Tea magazine, which I received over the weekend. (The good folks at houdeasianart.com sell single copies of this, if you're interested.) In one article, I was fascinated to read of the intensity with which some collectors are buying and storing cakes of Puerh tea. Some of these buyers don't even like or drink the tea but are rather buying it like stock to trade and sell. The vintage Puerh is also compared to vintage wine, with some collectors pursuing certain batches just like fine wines.


The other article that really impressed me from this issue is about the making of a Yixing teapot. Now I usually enjoy a good craft article with step-by-step photos, but this one takes the cake: 123 photos are shown! Now THAT is what I call step-by-step coverage!