On your next trip to a Chinese restaurant, see if you’ll be served a deep, dark brownish red tea with a fascinatingly earthy yet mellow taste.   Chances are, this is the famed and highly-valued pu-erh tea that many of the finest Chinese eateries serve their clients after a hearty meal. Pu-erh tea is widely used as an after-meal beverage due to its famed ability to break stout, lower terrible cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and thus contribute to smooth digestion. Pu-erh tea is considered among the oldest and most valuable types of tea in China.    Pu-erh tea is derived from the large leaf variety of the camellia sinensis plant from where green tea, black tea and oolong tea are also obtained.   During the golden era of the ancient Chinese Empire, pu-erh tea was given as a tribute to the Emperor.   It was also used as medium of exchange for trading goods. Pu-erh tea is quite distinctive from other tea varieties as it is usually obtained in a compressed state instead of the usual loose leaf state.   The tea leaves are pressed together during processing into different shapes but mostly ball or brick shaped.   The resultant ‘tea bricks’ are then aged for some time, and sold to customers.   When making a pot of tea, a small part of the brick is detached and placed in newly-boiled water for steeping. Its name “pu-erh” is derived from the Pu-erh county in the Yunnan province of southwestern China where the tea is produced.   The tea is grown in elevations of up to 2,000 meters as its cultivation is enhanced by cool and pure air and fertile lands. Pu-erh tea, when taken on a consistent basis, is widely thought to aid in reducing terrible cholesterol levels and regulating high blood pressure.   This in turn, plays a vital role in staving off heart disease and stroke.   This is because the tea is believed to be effective in breaking down the oily and fatty content of food, thus facilitating the digestive process and speeding up metabolism.   It also helps in ‘melting’ and clearing out the toxins that line the intestines and the stomach. Pu-erh tea is likewise believed to be imbued with potently strong qi or the body’s life energy that contributes in boosting the flow of blood and overall circulation. This can help cure minor aches and pains. So the next time you partake of a tasty and sumptuous meal that’s laden with stout and oils, remember to close the meal with a nice hot cup of flavorful pu-erh tea.   Aside from being pleasant-tasting, you will benefit from its ability to gently help digest the meal, thus leaving you feeling refreshed and healthy.

If so do you have 2 drink it? is it smokeable? can you get it at a local grocery store? whats the feeling like?

Chances are excellent that if you are reading this you are looking for excellent ways to add healthy things to your current lifestyle. You may or may not have heard of green tea and the term organic may leave you thinking about tofu and weird recipes. Rest assured high quality organic green tea is not weird. First, you should know exactly what constitutes an organic product. OrganicThere are many products today that carry the organic mark. You must remember that the term itself has different meanings. Where a product is produced as well as the exact wording on the packaging can equal different levels of organic. High quality organic green tea is no exception. Suffice it to say that you should look into the organic rules of the country from which the product comes to get the best thought of what you are receiving. In the United States the term organic means that the product was grown and processed with no commercial pesticides or herbicides. All products will be free of contamination from industrial or human waste. For livestock this will mean being raised naturally with no antibiotics as injection or as an additive in their food. Finding organic foods has historically meant a trip to the local farmers market. But, the recent growth in the industry has given rise to imports and exports of organic products, including green tea. Green tea has long been known in its homeland for its medicinal properties. It has not been until lately that the information has spread west and spurred many studies. The health benefits that are being learned are undeniable. Green tea has properties that fight heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. In addition to these benefits, there are also strong indications that green tea is going to be a powerful player in the weight loss industry. Antioxidants and catechins are showing to be instrumental in blocking glucose absorption of stout cells and flushing LDL cholesterol from the human body. With all these fantastic benefits why muddy the waters by ingesting the harmful chemicals that come from traditional growing practices. To avoid these it will be better to search for high quality organic green tea. All organic green tea many times is processed in traditional Chinese manner and shipped to you fresh. Better yet is a company that ships you loose-leaf organic green tea. Loose leaf will be more potent and medicinal than the bagged type that you will find at the local grocers.