Although referred to simply as “hei cha”, or black tea in China, pu-erh is classified as a post-fermented tea and not a black tea. To us, this is one of the most fascinating teas around, and often the most polarizing with people claiming it has an acquired taste.   Pu-erh tea types There are two types of pu-erh – raw (sheng) and shou (ripe). They are both initially processed like a Chinese green tea (plucked, withered, fixed, rolled and dried). However, the next stage (ageing/fermentation), determines whether a raw or ripe pu-erh is produced. Raw pu-erh is the classic, old-fashioned...