aged ripe pu erh tea

Does Puer Tea Have Caffeine?

What is puer tea?

Pu-erh tea can be divided into raw puer tea and ripe puer tea. Raw puerh tea is naturally fermented, while cooked tea is artificially ripened. "The more it ages, the more fragrant it becomes" is recognized as the biggest feature of pu'er cha that distinguishes it from other teas. Pu'er tea is an "importable antique", unlike other teas that are more valuable when new. Puer tea is more valuable because of its "oldness" and tends to gradually appreciate over time

aged ripe pu erh tea

In addition, Pu'er tea can also be divided into cake tea, brick tea, Tuocha, dragon pearl, and other shapes according to their different appearance. Moreover, Pu erh cha also has many health effects such as cleaning the intestines, lowering fat, refreshing, and so on.

aged ripe pu erh tea

( Pu erh tea aging warehouse)

 

Caffeine in Chinese tea

The caffeine content in fresh leaves is 2%-5%, so diverse tea trees in different producing areas have different caffeine contents.

Caffeine will sublimate due to high temperatures and is also very soluble in hot water. Therefore, the temperature during the production process will affect the caffeine content in the tea. 

The temperatures during the production process of green tea, black tea, Pu'er tea, oolong tea, etc. are different, and for the same tea, such as black tea, different tea companies make Gongfu black tea during the drying and flavoring processes. The time and temperature are also different. In this case, it is difficult to determine which tea has more caffeine content.

 During the brewing process, several types of tea have different water temperature requirements and brewing times for each brew, which results in different levels of caffeine dissolved in the tea liquid.

 Therefore, it is impossible to determine which tea has higher caffeine. We can only take tea samples for specific testing.

     1. From the perspective of planting area: the further south the planting area is, the higher the caffeine content of tea and the stronger the bitter taste.

     2. From the perspective of tree species, the caffeine content in water of large-leaf species is higher than that of small- and medium-leaf species.

     3. Judging from the picking standards, the second leaf has the highest caffeine content.

     4. From the perspective of the season: Summer tea has a high caffeine content.

 Is puer tea caffeinated? 

As a fermented tea, Pu'er tea has a relatively low caffeine content. According to research, the caffeine content of Pu'er tea is about 20-30 mg per 100 ml of tea soup. In comparison, the caffeine content of coffee is typically 60-80 mg per 100 ml of coffee. Pu'er tea has lower caffeine content and may be a better choice for those who are sensitive to caffeine or wish to reduce their caffeine intake.

It should be noted that there are still some differences in the caffeine content in Pu'er tea. This depends on factors such as the type of tea, origin, picking time, and processing technology. New puerh has a rather high caffeine content, while the caffeine content of aged Pu'er tea is relatively lower. For those looking for a low-caffeine tea, aged ripe tea from Pu'er can be chosen, as ripe tea generally has a lower caffeine content after undergoing pile fermentation.

 

Low Caffeine Pu Erh Tea

The caffeine content in Pu'er tea is relatively low, and moderate drinking of Pu'er tea will not lead to significant caffeine intake. For those who are sensitive to caffeine or wish to reduce their caffeine intake, Pu'er tea may be a better choice. It should be noted that there are still certain differences in the caffeine content in Pu'er tea, so the choice of tea should be based on personal needs and health conditions. Whether you like the taste of Pu'er tea or are looking for low caffeine, Pu'er tea is a good choice.

How to make puer tea?

When brewing aged pu erh cha, Yixing purple clay teapots are the best choice. The purple clay teapot has a small spout and a tight lid, which can effectively gather aroma. And because it is not glazed, the purple clay teapot has many open pores, which has better air permeability and helps to bring out the flavor of the tea.

yixing teapot
(where to buy pu erh tea, high quality aged cha puer available in our tea shop)

Let's take our 2012  aged 12-year ripe pu erh tea 7581 as a tea sample to share how to brew a good Pu'erh. Generally,  the standard tea-to-water ratio is 1:20 and boiled water is the best. You can adopt the method of low-flush water pouring, and slowly pour water into the purple clay pot along the edge of the teapot. The hand must be steady and the water should be fine. This can not only ensure the water temperature, but also allow the contents of the tea leaves to be slowly released, and the taste of each tea soup will be better. more stable.

yixing teapot

 

 

 

 

 

 

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