Authentication of Specialty Tea: An Application Note

There has been a lot of research on the health benefits of consuming tea, especially the five main types that are produced from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant (white, black, green, oolong, and Pu-erh). Pu-erh tea is a fermented-tea that is produced from broad-leafed variety, Camellia sinensis var. Assamica. The tea shrub only grows in the southwest Yunnan province of China. To produce the tea, the leaves are stacked, dampened, and fermented during a 60- to 180-day process. Bacteria such as Actinoplanes and Streptomyces are added during the process, and these bacteria are responsible for the tea's distinct, earthy flavor. Pu-erh has increased in popularity in many parts of the world in recent years, leading to an increase in production to meet the growing demand.