Dark Tea · FFET10396
Pu'er tea
Made from sun-dried large-leaf green tea from Yunnan, Pu'er comes in raw and ripe forms.
Dark tea, piled while damp; its loose tea and compressed forms are classed separately.
Pu'er tea is made from sun-dried large-leaf green tea from a defined area of Yunnan and comes in raw and ripe forms. Ripe tea undergoes pile fermentation, while raw tea gradually ages during storage. Its name comes from the former Pu'er Prefecture, and associated production crafts are found in Ning'er and Menghai counties.
What
Pu'er tea is made from sun-dried large-leaf green tea from Yunnan. Its two forms are raw and ripe tea.1
When
The tribute tea and Dayi tea production crafts were listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2008; this dates their inscription, not the origin of Pu'er tea. The phrase Yunnan pu er cha (written with an older character) appears in the Chashi, but the version seen gives no author or date, so it fixes no date either.2,3
Where
Pu'er tea is produced in Yunnan and takes its name from the former Pu'er Prefecture. Among its listed heritage crafts, tribute tea making is associated with Ning'er County in Pu'er, and Dayi tea making with Menghai County in Xishuangbanna.1,2
How
Raw tea can be pressed after the sun-dried green tea is prepared and then aged in storage. Ripe tea undergoes pile fermentation. Tribute tea making includes hand-picking, heat-fixing, rolling, sun-drying, steaming, and pressing.1,2
Why
Sun-dried green tea provides the shared starting material. Subsequent aging and pile fermentation distinguish the production paths of raw and ripe Pu'er.1
Impact and influence
GI mark use notices issued in 2019 and 2026 both name Pu'er tea, authorizing relevant producers to use the mark.4,5