cc wrote:
>

> In Puer, there are both enzymes for the oxidation and a specific bacteria
> for the long-run reaction (that is also called "post-fermentation" but
> should be "bacterial fermentation" ). 2 different phenomenons.
>
> That Puer-kin is naturally living in treebark, and has to be "introduced"
> into the dried tea leaves. Well, at least that's what they say they do in
> Xishuangbanna and what the Japanese micro-organism scientists (that are
> researching the action of that Puer-kin) say about it.

Very informative, Kuri. Puerh's shroud of mystery continues to be
lifted.

> Certainly what you say about sun-drying is essential obtain a good quality
> Puer tea (and get the require humidity,etc,to allow the puer-kin to develop
> well).
> The phenomenon has been discovered relatively recently, during hundreds of
> years, the teaproducers didn't know there was a Puer-kin and didn't know
> they introduced it. Your comparison with yogurth is good, in old times,
> people didn't use any "starter" and that worked because the starter was
> present in the container for some reason, most bacterias used in food
> appeared that way, by chance. Here, they happened to store the tea in places
> where "Puer-kin" was present. That's how I take it when your teacher says it
> is "not introduced artificially".

Another parallel can perhaps be found in natto, where the bacterial
"starter" is naturally found in the straw wrapping enclosing the cooked
beans.

So, is this what defines what is a Puerh, really? Controlled rot?

--crymad