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For those who are not familiar with the herbal practices of the Chinese and not quite sure what the term 'puerh' denotes, it happens to be a type of tea that is liked by most, if not all, Chinese people. Actually the term is supposed to be spelled, Pu-erh. In Chinese restaurants, particularly those serving dim sum dishes, Pu-erh is a customary drink. The thing about Pu-erh tea is that it has the ability to break down oily and fatty food fast during digestion; this makes it an ideal drink to have in company with Chinese dishes which are often high in fat. In the Chinese point of view, simply put, Pu-erh tea needs to be consumed after a fatty feast to well, get normal again fast.
With the Chinese having this certain craze over Pu-erh, it is not surprising that the tea has caught the interests of western dietitians and food experts as well. So far, all western researches conducted on Pu-erh back up the fact that, for people who do not consume that much fat on a daily basis unlike the Chinese (referring to the western audience, obviously), drinking the tea can be very effective for slimming. Some even got to the point of calling the tea better than Atkins' menu in terms of assisting weight loss.
Unlike other dieting products, Pu-erh tea can be consumed following a long term plan in order to receive better health benefits. It is believed that the long term consumption of Pu-erh can reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as help aid the body's blood circulation and removal of toxins. Thus, it can play an important role in one's life by preventing heart disease as well as cancer.
One of the most important things those who are just starting to get acquainted with Pu-erh and interested of trying it should know is that the tea comes in two varieties; Pu-erh can be purchased either raw, called 'sheng' or cooked, called 'shou'. Take note that the potency, or should we say, 'effectiveness' of Pu-erh depends on the method used to process and 'age' the tea leaves. Those variants made from wild old tea trees and processed following the delicate ancient customs are reputed to be more potent; containing strong Qi, an element that the Chinese relates to "life energy" or "life force"; Chinese people believe that consuming 'sheng' is a sacred experience.
It also must be pointed out here that, given Pu-erh's celebrity status in China and even in other countries, counterfeit versions of the tea have been produced. But of course, while there are many 'fake' Pu-erhs on the market which makes authentic aged Pu-erh difficult to identify, it is not entirely impossible to find Pu-erh that is 10 to 50 years old.
So how much is Pu-erh? Take note that the older and more potent the Pu-erh, the better are the results it can give your body. Older Pu-erh can be bought upwards of thousands of dollars per cake. Mind you, despite being so expensive tea connoisseurs and those speculators of the tea are willing to pay for it. If you are really interested with Pu-erh, you should be too. Anyway, it really is worth it.