Pu erh Tea Price

Pu-erh Tea Price & A Few Pricing Factors

What Is Pu-erh Tea In Tra Viet?

Many people know that an unique Pu-erh tea is famous for it’s characteristic. So what are the main factors that affect pu erh tea price? Let’s find out !

Pu-erh tea is a kind of tea which the producer select carefully the top bud and 2-3 tea leaves from the ancient tea trees and Shan tea trees in the high mountains. In Vietnam, the provinces of Ha Giang, Lai Chau, Yen Bai and Dien Bien also have Shan tea tree. But Ha Giang has larger forest where has many ancient tea trees and Shan tea inside.

What Determines Pu-erh Tea Price?

Pu-erh tea is a type of tea that’s mainly produced in China’s Yunnan province, but you can also find a high-class Pu-erh tea at Tra Viet as well. In this article we’re going to list and discuss about all the factors that affect of a pu erh tea price.

Environmental conditions

How good a Pu-erh potentially can taste, depends on where it all starts, and that’s the environmental conditions in which the tea trees or bushes are grown.

Altitude

High mountain weather conditions are often more favorable with more sunshine and cool night temperatures. Under these conditions, the leaves develop more substance during the day, while the cool temperatures let them rest during the night. As a result, the tea will have a richer flavor and stronger after taste.

Soil Quality

Very related to high altitude is soil quality. On the mountains, there’s hardly any pollution or waste, and the abundance of leaves falling from trees allow the soil to be very fertile and mineral rich.

Quality of the Year

Dry and sunny weather with a small amount of rainy days is generally the best for pu erh. Too much rain will let the leaves grow to fast, and accumulate less minerals and thus flavor.

Raw Material Grade & Tree Age

Raw materials are classified based on the tea trees they come from.

1. Garden tea

Garden tea usually have less after taste – the lowest grade. Of course, there are exceptions, and that’s when the garden tea is grown on high altitudes. But the producer tend to use garden tea to make ripe Pu erh tea.

2. Young tea tree

Young tea trees are around 100-200 and planted on mountain slopes between native trees. They produce a better flavor and after taste, both good quality ripe and raw pu erh tea.

3. Old tea trees

Old tea trees range from 200 to several hundred years old, The producer tend to use old tea trees to produce raw pu erh tea.

4. Wild tea tree

Wild tea trees are often thousands of years old, and produce superior flavor and after taste. The prices can be very high even when it’s fresh. The producer tend to use wild tea tree to make raw pu erh tea.

Processing

While environmental conditions and age of the tree is very important, often times the skill needed to make a superior pu erh is often undervalued. In fact, the producer can still turn mediocre leaves into great tea with excellent processing.

Growing & Fertilizers

You’ll get better quality raw material with organic fertilizers compared to artificial ones. However, even organic fertilizers are in some way ‘unnatural’. As we said, leaves should grow slowly to acquire more flavor, and fertilizers only allow it to grow fast.

Tea picking

When it comes to tea picking the first harvest in early spring is always the best. But what matters even more is the frequency of plucking. If the farmer over-pick the tea trees for too many times a year, the tea trees have to work harder to produce the leaves, it will have less mineral content that produces the rich flavor and after taste that we’re looking for!

Processing: Raw V/s Ripe

• Raw pu erh production: to produce raw pu erh, the producer will compress it into various shapes (mainly cakes) and store it for aging.
• Ripe pu erh production: the production of ripe pu erh is different. This process can take several weeks until the leaves are fully fermented. Then the producer will compress these loose ripe pu erh leaves into cakes.

Pu-erh tea price around the world

In China you can easily find Pu-erh tea anywhere along the country, they also come in different shape and size. The price depends on it’s quality, from 10$ up to 100$/gr.

In Viet Nam, there is a few company that sell high quality Pu-erh tea and Tra Viet is one of them. The price is normally around 5$ – 10$/gr.

You can also find Pu-erh tea at some countries around the world such as EU or US, UK market. But due to the importing effect, the price can be much higher than normal.