Yunnan pu-erh
Pu-erh Tea Wholesale
Pu-erh is Yunnan sun-dried large-leaf tea that continues to change after it leaves the factory. The first split is not price — it is sheng (raw) versus shou (ripe). They are different products with different storage, labelling, and buyer expectations.
Year and warehouse history are part of the spec, not a marketing mood. A young sheng and a ten-year sheng are not the same buying brief. Compressed cakes, bricks, and tuo travel differently from loose leaf: moisture, mould risk, and how customs sees the pack.
Evaluation samples are free of charge; the buyer covers the courier cost. Most teas from 5 kg.
How to read pu-erh types
Grade talk in pu-erh is often mixed with factory recipe names. For a first wholesale brief, lock type, form, and storage story before you argue leaf size.
| Grade | Leaf | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Sheng (raw) | Uncooked; bitter-sweet when young; designed to age if stored cleanly | Collectors, tea houses, and buyers who can hold stock through a true ageing curve |
| Shou (ripe) | Pile-fermented to a darker, earthier cup in months rather than years | Ready-to-drink dark cups, restaurants, and programmes that cannot wait on a warehouse |
| Compressed vs loose | Cakes and bricks vs open leaf; same type, different logistics | Compressed for ageing and gift formats; loose for tasting kits and faster brew service |
Typical origins
Xishuangbanna & Pu’er
Core production belt: garden elevation, tree age talk, and a dense network of factories. Ask for county and process, not only “Yunnan.”
Lincang & Baoshan
Often a different body and aroma from the south. Useful when you want a second Yunnan voice without inventing a new category.
Dry vs wet storage regions
Storage climate after pressing changes the tea as much as the garden. A clean dry store and a humid store are not interchangeable lots.
Processing
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Kill-green, sun-dry, maocha
Sheng and shou both start as Yunnan maocha. Skipping sun-dry or rushing it is how “pu-erh” loses the right to the name in the cup.
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Shou pile fermentation (optional)
Shou is piled under controlled heat and moisture until the leaf is dark and the sharp young edge is gone. That is a factory process, not “ageing in your warehouse.”
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Pressing & storage
Compression is for ageing, shipping, and format — not a quality rank by itself. After that, humidity and odour control decide whether the lot improves or spoils.
Buying notes
- Write sheng or shou on the PO. Mixing them in one line item is how tasting notes and customs descriptions go wrong.
- Ask for production year and storage condition. “Aged” without a store story is not a spec.
- Most teas from 5 kg. A few grades carry a higher order minimum; see the product spec sheet.
- Evaluation samples are free of charge; the buyer covers the courier cost.
- Lots can be selected to meet EU MRLs; batch testing available on request (Eurofins, approx. 2 weeks, at cost).
Available lots
Yunnan, China
Ripe Pu-erh Loose Leaf Tea
The mellow essence of time—a smooth, deeply earthy brew rooted in Yunnan's terroir.
Yunnan, China
Raw Pu-erh Loose Leaf Tea
A "living tea" from Yunnan's ancient forests, evolving in complexity and sweet return with every passing year.
Sourcing a pu erh tea not listed here? Tell us your spec .
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between sheng and shou pu-erh?
Sheng is raw: it can be drunk young and astringent or held to mellow. Shou is pile-fermented so the dark cup is ready sooner. They are not two grades of one tea.
Does a printed year on a wrapper prove how the tea was stored?
No. Year of press is one fact; warehouse humidity and cleanliness are another. Ask for both, especially on anything sold as aged.
Loose leaf or cake for import?
Loose is simpler to sample and to brew by gram. Cakes travel as a format and age as a unit. Choose by how you sell, not by which looks more “authentic” in a photo.
Related reading
Wholesale inquiry
Looking for pu erh tea?
Tell us the cultivar, grade, harvest window, and volume. Evaluation samples are free of charge; the buyer covers the courier cost. Most teas from 5 kg.