My new Favorite Tea: Pu-erh

my favorite new tea

I don't have many guilty pleasures, so I spend my money on fancy tea. My tea shelf is constantly being filled with new goodies: dried herbs, whole spices for homemade yogi tea, grain teas, green teas, Tulsi (Holy Basil) and my daily green jasmine tea. And now my new favorite tea is taking up some space: Numi Pu-erh Tea. It's so incredibly delicious and addicting!

I have always been curious about Pu-erh tea, supposedly full of antioxidants and full of earthy, rich flavors. There are lots of companies offering this type of tea, but I've long been a fan of Numi. They are a small brother and sister company that offers organic, fair-trade, delicious tea products. They offer many varieties of Pu-erh tea on their site- including cardamom, basil mint, ginger, and chocolate. They did have a coconut-flavored tea, but according to the vendor, it was clogging their machines and they had to discontinue it! You can find Numi teas at well-stocked natural or gourmet stores, or purchase online in the Numi store.

But what is pu-erh tea, aside from being a tongue-twister (say poo-air)? Pu-erh is an 'ancient healing tea picked from 500 year old organic wild tea trees in the majestic mountains of China's Yunnan province" according to the Numi tea tutorial. It is a black tea, though significantly lighter (less tannic) and more refreshing than traditional black tea. Don't let the dark color fool you– pu-erh tea actually has the body and the caffeine level of a green tea, which I love. Pu-erh tea is fermented, which results in an altogether different, mellow flavor, and high antioxidant content. It's been credited with all sorts of health benefits, but according to Dr. Weil, none have really been confirmed. But, other studies have shown that all tea is good for our bodies. Pu-erh tea is specifically known as a weight loss tea as it can allegedly help break down fat. It has been said that this tea can, "aid digestion and metabolism, maintain healthy cholesterol levels, help with weight management and naturally boost energy." But most importantly, this tea tastes amazing!