Ripe pu'er (shou)
- Taste
- Earthy, smooth, dark like coffee
- Process
- Pile-fermented, then pressed
- Good for
- First-time drinkers, daily tea
Yunnan pu'er · origin on every label
Pu'er with the mountain, the year and the factory on every label.
Chama Cellar sells ripe and raw pu'er tea from Yunnan, China. Every tea is listed with its origin, harvest year and producing factory. The shop is being stocked now; leave your email to hear when the first teas are listed.
- Origin on every teaMountain, harvest year, factory
- Year and factory statedHarvest year, pressing date, producer
- Try before you commit25g samples of every tea
What is the difference between ripe and raw pu'er?
Both come from the same large-leaf tea trees in Yunnan. Ripe pu'er is pile-fermented for weeks before pressing, so it is dark and smooth from day one. Raw pu'er is pressed without that step and changes slowly over years of storage.
Raw pu'er (sheng)
- Taste
- Bright, floral, some bitterness
- Process
- Sun-dried, pressed, aged naturally
- Good for
- Collectors, people who store tea
What do we tell you about each tea?
- Where it grew. Each product page names the mountain or county the leaf comes from.
- When it was made. The harvest year and the pressing date are listed separately, because they are not always the same.
- Who made it. The producing factory is named, so you can look it up yourself.
Wholesale and private label
Buying for a tea shop, café or your own brand?
Open a wholesale account for case pricing and custom-wrapped cakes under your label.
- Samples before you place a case order
- Private-label wrappers and boxes
Learn pu'er
All guides →
BuyingHow can you tell if a pu'er cake is fake?
Most fake pu'er is real tea sold with a false age, origin or brand. What the wrapper can and cannot tell you, and what a seller should prove.
StorageHow should you store pu'er cakes at home?
Keep pu'er in its wrapper, in a clean cupboard away from smells, sunlight and damp. What to use, what to avoid and how to spot trouble.
BrewingHow do you brew pu'er tea without a gaiwan?
Brew pu'er in a mug, a teapot or a tall glass. Leaf amounts, water temperature and steeping times for ripe and raw pu'er.
Common questions
Does pu'er tea expire?
Stored dry, clean and away from strong smells, pu'er keeps for many years. Raw pu'er in particular changes in flavour as it ages.