You know, folks always be askin’, what’s the deal with this pu erh vs oolong? They both sound fancy, right? Well, let me tell ya, it ain’t that complicated. They’re just teas, like the ones we drink when we got a cold or just want somethin’ warm in our bellies.

This one tea, pu erh, it’s kinda like that old fermented stuff. You know, like when you leave cabbage out too long and it gets all funky? That’s what they do with this pu erh tea. But I guess it’s good, I don’t know. It ain’t that bad, just different, you know? They say it can help you with health stuff.

Where They Come From

• That oolong tea, they say it mostly comes from China and Taiwan.
• But this pu erh, it’s from a place called Yunnan, also in China. I ain’t never been, but it sounds far.

So, you see, they come from different places. Like, one’s from over there, and the other’s from way over yonder. Still, both of them are from China, just like different areas.

What They Do to ‘Em

Now, this is where it gets a little tricky, but not really. They do different things to these teas to make ’em taste different. Like that oolong, they only let it sit out for a little bit. They call it “oxidation” or somethin’.

But that pu erh, they let it sit out for a long, long time. It’s like they leave them to rot, but not really. They call it “fermented.” I guess it’s like when you want to keep them for a long time.

Different Kinds of Tea

They say there are all sorts of oolong teas. Some are more “oxidized” than others. I don’t know what that means exactly, but I guess it changes the taste. Just like there is black tea and green tea.

And that pu erh, they got two kinds. “Raw” and “ripened.” Like, one is newer and the other one is older, maybe. I think so. That raw one, some folks say it’s like green tea. I guess they look the same. But they ain’t the same, ’cause they dry ’em different. Green tea, they use some hot air thing. Pu erh, they just let the sun do it.

Pu erh is kinda like black tea, but not

They told me black tea is oxidised. But the pu erh is not. They do the pan-fried thing with pu erh. They say pu erh get its taste from something they call pile fermentation. I don’t know what that means exactly.

Which One’s Better for Ya?

Some folks say the less you mess with the tea leaves, the better they are for ya. So, green tea is supposed to be the best, ’cause they don’t do much to it. Then comes oolong, and then black tea. They say that oolong has less of that good stuff called “catechins.”

But I don’t know. I think any tea is good for ya. It warms you up, it’s got some flavor, and it ain’t got all that sugar like those sodas.

Just Try ‘Em Both

So, if you’re wonderin’ about pu erh vs oolong, I say just try ’em both. See which one you like better. They’re both tea. They both come from China. They both got their own thing goin’ on.

Don’t be scared by all the fancy words. It’s just tea. Like the kind your grandma used to make. Maybe a little different, but still just tea. Don’t think too hard about it. Just drink it and see if you like it. That’s my advice. I heard they are both good. It depends on you. Some people like this, and some people like that.