The mold you find on a Pu-erh should be a white
one, not a black one!!! Different mold can
develop on a Pu-erh when it is placed in
different environment. Some are good, some are
BAD. The good apsergillus we Chinese talk about
is NOT aspergillus niger. Not a black mold!

It is believed that a Pu-erh has to go through
the process of developing white mold, then
letting it disappear. Only after a Pu-erh gone
through the whole process, it is considered
completely aged.

The correct process for aging a Pu-erh:

Green Pu-erh, let it ages naturally. Storage
room is the key to the aging. Experienced Pu-erh
vendor knows the value of a dry old stroage
room. It is normally guarded. I am not kidding.

Wo Dui processed (or black Pu-erh but not
includes those wet storaged ones) Pu-erh, loose
teas were first go through the Wo Dui process
(scientifically speedy aging), then compressed.
Only a few large factories know the real
process. If you are not familiar with the
factory on the label, you are better off stay
with green Pu-erh. BYW, the import/export
company Pu-erh bing cha is a product of Cha Yuan
(Tea Garden) group. Improperly processed pu-erh
can be harmful to your health. You may visit the
discussion on our site at
http://www.teahub.com/revealpuerh.htm for more
info.

Linda
www.teahub.com






> Aparently, it's made from green tea which
has been moulded with
> Aspergillus niger, which is a common mold, for
about 3 months or so, then
> the leaves are dried and aged for 2 years. It
produces the dark mold you
> find on foods like bread or fruit, and also is
commonly found in peat. It
> is related to Aspergillus oryzae, which is the
mold used to produce Asian
> fermented foods such as miso, amazake, soy
sauces, and rice wine
> (aspergillus oryzae, I believe, is usually
lighter colored).
>
> Food consumption of Aspergillus niger is
considered safe by the World
> Health Organization in small amounts,
however... horticultural workers who
> work with peat, peat moss, etc., may be
susceptable to aspergillosis, a very
> serious lung infection, particularly in people
with compromised immune
> systems. Aspergillus spores can also cause
allergic reactions in some
> individuals. Aspergillus niger doesn't
produce carcinogenic mycotoxins,
> however, although some other Aspergillus genus
members do. Pu-erh's health
> effects have been less studied than green tea,
but it does appear to share
> with other teas, a degree of protection of DNA
and cholesterol lowering
> properties (indeed, in one study the ability
to neutralize nitric oxide DNA
> damage was slightly greater than black tea,
from what I remember), despite
> the fact the tea is truely fermented (unlike
black tea), leading one to ask
> wheather Aspergillus niger might have some
possible contribution.
>
> I'm not expert in mycology or medicine, of
course. It's interesting that
> most of us throw out moldly bread, yet there's
tea costing alot of money
> that is covered in the stuff. To each his
own, I guess.
>
>
>