Types of tea and pu-erh

There are many different types of tea but they all come from the same plant. The variations we find in tea then is entirely created through regionality, conditions during growth, types of leaves picked, and methods after picking. Tea can be largely categorized into 7 types with many different variations within and outside of these categorizations: white, green, yellow, red (black tea in the western world), oolong, heicha, and pu-erh. Perhaps the most collected and sought after amongst these is pu-erh. Pu-erh is specific to the Yunan region of China and was originally used as currency. After being packed into dense cakes and transported from region to region over time the Chinese found the tea would ferment, changing its qualities. There are two types of pu-erh: shou (ripe) and sheng (raw). Shou pu-erh is fermented in large piles over months before being dried and sold, quickening the fermentation process. Sheng is packed into cakes called bings and is typically naturally aged in that state, providing a slower change in flavor. Those dedicated to tea typically have a collection of tea they age themselves, with pu-erh being the tea that tends to age best.