Pu'er tea and ceramic tea set

This photograph was taken at Osborne Library's Mooncake Festival celebration on Tuesday 7 October 2025 where staff member, Chai, explained the history of Pu'er tea and demonstrated how it is traditionally served to guests using a ceramic tea set.

Pu'er or pu-erh is a variety of fermented tea traditionally produced in Yunnan Province, China. The fermentation process gives the tea a distinctive rich, smooth, and earthy flavour. Like wine, Pu'er tea can be stored and allowed to age and mature before drinking. 

Fermented tea leaves have had a long history in southwest China, and Pu'er has been produced in Yunnan Province since at least the 10th century. The Ancient Tea Horse Road, which was a trade route connecting Yunnan to Tibet, India and beyond, was used to trade goods like Pu'er tea, salt, and horses between China and its neighbours. This route was a vital commercial network, often considered a southern 'Silk Road'. 

The tea's ability to ferment and mature over long distances made it well-suited for this difficult journey, where its flavour profile developed naturally from the humid and changing climates.