A Brief History of Pu'er Tea Development/普洱茶发展简史

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普洱茶是中国茶中的一种地方特种茶类，是在历史长河中积淀下来的中华古老文明中的一朵奇葩。
公认的最早普洱茶产区的文字记录《蛮书》唐樊绰于咸通四年(公元863年)撰写的《蛮书》记录了很多云南的历史文化，其中在《蛮书·云南志·管内物产卷七》中记:“茶出银生城界诸山，散收，无采造法，蒙舍蛮以椒、姜、桂和烹而饮之。”这是目前公认的普洱茶产区的最早文字记录，因而被广泛引用。
Pu'er tea is a local specialty tea among Chinese teas, a unique flower blooming in the long course of the ancient Chinese civilization.

The earliest known written record of Pu'er tea production is found in the "Wan Shu" (Book of the Barbarians), a book written by Tang Yuan Tao in 863 AD (Hengtong 4th year). The "Wan Shu" (Volume 7 of Yunnan Records) records many historical and cultural aspects of Yunnan, including the following passage: "Tea is produced in the mountains around Xinsheng City. It is collected in scattered quantities, with no method of cultivation or processing. The Mo Sha people mix it with pepper, ginger, and cinnamon and cook it to drink." This is the earliest known written record of Pu'er tea production in the recognized tea-growing area, and is widely cited.
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三国时期，“武侯遗种”，在一千七百多年前的 农历七月二十三日打开了普洱茶话史。“茶山有茶王树，较五山独大，本武侯遗种，至今夷民祀之。”(檀萃《滇海虞衡志》)。武侯就是诸葛亮· 孔明先生，相传他在公元二二五年南征，基诺族，深信武侯值茶树为事实，并世代相传，祀诸 葛孔明先生为“茶祖”，每年加以祭拜。唐朝 咸丰三年(公元 862 年)樊绰出使云南。在他所著的《蛮书》卷七中有记载：“茶出银生城界诸山，散收无采造法。蒙舍蛮以菽姜桂和烹而饮之。这就证明了唐代时期已经生产茶叶。
During the Three Kingdoms period, "Wuchou Yizhong", opened the history of Pu'er tea on the 23rd day of the seventh lunar month over 1,700 years ago. "There is a tea king tree on the tea mountain, which is much larger than the other five mountains. It is said to be the offspring of General Wu Chou, who was a wise man during the Three Kingdoms period. The Yi people still worship it today." (Tuanzhai Yuheying Zhi by Tan Zhao) General Wu Chou is Mr. Zhuge Liang, who is said to have gone south in 225 AD. The Jinuo people firmly believe that General Wu Chou planted the tea tree, and this belief has been passed down through generations. They worship Mr. Zhuge Liang as the "Tea God" and offer sacrifices to him every year. In 862 AD, Tan Chuo, a diplomat from the Tang Dynasty, went to Yunnan. In Volume 7 of his book, Wan Shu, he wrote: "Tea is produced in the mountains around Yincheng. It is collected in scattered quantities without any method of cultivation. The Mosuo people mix soybeans, ginger, and cinnamon with tea and drink it." This proves that tea was produced during the Tang Dynasty.
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“普洱茶”名来源
据考证银生城的茶应该是云南大叶茶种，也就是普洱茶种。所以银生城产的茶叶，应该是普洱茶的祖宗。所以 ，清朝阮福在《普洱茶记》中说：“普洱古属银生府。则西蕃之用普洱，已自唐时。” 宋朝李石在他的《续博物志》一书也记载了：“茶出银生诸山，采无时，杂菽姜烹而饮之。”从茶文化历史的认知，茶兴于唐朝而盛于宋朝。
The name "Pu erh tea" comes from
According to research, the tea in Yinshengcheng should be Yunnan large leaf tea, also known as Pu'er tea. So the tea produced in Yinshengcheng should be the ancestor of Pu'er tea. So, in the Qing Dynasty's "Pu erh Tea Record," Ruan Fu said, "Pu erh belonged to Yinsheng Prefecture in ancient times. Therefore, the use of Pu erh by the Western barbarians dates back to the Tang Dynasty." Li Shi of the Song Dynasty also recorded in his book "Continuation of the History of Natural History": "Tea originated from Yinsheng Mountain, was harvested at any time, and was mixed with glutinous rice and ginger for cooking and drinking." From the understanding of tea culture history, tea flourished in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty.
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现今的普洱茶介绍：
普洱茶主产于云南省普洱市、临沧市、西双版纳傣族自治州等地区，大乔木，高达16米，嫩枝有微毛，顶芽有白柔毛。叶薄革质，椭圆形。花腋生，被柔毛。苞片2，早落。萼片5，近圆形，外面无毛。花瓣6-7片，倒卵形，无毛。雄蕊长8-10毫米，离生，无毛。子房3室，被茸毛；花柱长8毫米，先端3裂。蒴果扁三角球形。种子每室1个，近圆形，直径1厘米。
普洱茶讲究冲泡技巧和品饮艺术，可清饮，可混饮。普洱茶茶汤橙黄浓厚，香气高锐持久，香型独特，滋味浓醇，经久耐泡。
普洱茶曾被归类为黑茶类，现归类为再加工类中的后发酵茶。
Introduction to current Pu'er tea:
Pu'er tea is mainly produced in Pu'er City, Lincang City, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and other areas of Yunnan Province. It is a large tree that can reach up to 16 meters in height, with tender branches covered in fine hairs and white soft hairs on the top buds. Leaves thin and leathery, elliptical in shape. Flowers grow axillary and are covered in soft hairs. Bracts 2, fall early. Sepals 5, nearly circular, hairless on the outside. Petals 6-7, ovate, hairless. The stamens are 8-10 millimeters long, free and hairless. Ovary with 3 chambers, covered in fuzzy hairs; The style is 8 millimeters long and has a 3-lobed tip. The capsule is flattened and triangular in shape. One seed per chamber, nearly circular, with a diameter of 1 centimeter.
Pu erh tea emphasizes brewing techniques and drinking art, and can be consumed clean or mixed. Pu erh tea has a rich orange yellow tea soup, a sharp and long-lasting aroma, a unique fragrance, a rich and mellow taste, and is durable and long-lasting.
Pu'er tea was once classified as black tea, but now it is classified as post fermented tea in the reprocessing category.