Pu-erh tea picking
Pu-erh tea is primarily produced in China’s Yunnan Province, with regions such as Pu'er City, Xishuangbanna, and Lincang being the most famous.
They flourish in warm, humid, and mist-shrouded forests at altitudes between 1,000 to 1,800 meters.
These ideal natural conditions give Pu-erh tea its rich beneficial constituents, layered and full-bodied taste, and distinctive, fragrant forest aroma.
Many Pu-erh tea trees grow deep in the forested mountains, where the terrain is steep and the paths are winding and rugged.
When it rains, the ground becomes slippery and muddy, making travel even more challenging.
Tea farmers carefully trek long distances with bamboo baskets on their backs to reach the tea trees.
The age of Pu-erh tea trees is generally over a hundred years, and some are even several centuries old.
The older the tree, the taller and more spread out its branches become, requiring farmers to carefully climb and manually pick the leaves.
Using precise technique, they gently pinch the stem near the bud and swiftly, yet delicately, pluck the tender shoot.
High-quality Pu-erh tea is harvested by selecting only the "single bud" or "one bud with one leaf."
The prime harvest season occurs each spring (from March to May), when the tea trees are in full growth, producing fresh, plump leaves. During this time, the tea's aroma and flavor are at their peak, leading to the release of many new teas.