Many tea merchants nowadays, in order to please the market, have raised prices and put a lot of effort into packaging, which has to be said to be “high-end, elegant, and upscale” one by one.
Observant friends will notice that only Pu’er tea seems to be packaged in cotton paper for thousands of years, with almost no “innovation”, even the ceiling level Pu’er tea is no exception. Why on earth is this?
This is because Pu’er tea is different from other types of tea, and its storage does not require air isolation. On the contrary, Pu erh tea prefers a well ventilated and dry environment, and good storage will give it a “second life”. Packaging with cotton paper is not only environmentally friendly and economical, but also beneficial for the later aging of Pu’er tea, which becomes more fragrant and mellow as it ages.
Of course, this type of packaging paper is not the ordinary paper we see every day, but cotton paper. It is a type of bark called a woven tree, made by traditional handicrafts. There is also a type of cotton paper made from the white layer in the middle of Ma San, a unique plant in Xishuangbanna, which is also handmade; However, modern times also use machine manufacturing for large-scale production.
Cotton paper packaging has four significant benefits for Pu’er tea:
1. Cotton paper has good breathability
The difference between Pu’er tea and other types of tea is that it is a post fermented tea that requires some contact with air to allow the tea leaves to age naturally over time. It is not recommended to use sealed plastic packaging bags
Cotton paper with strong breathability meets the requirements for aging Pu’er tea, as it does not come into direct contact with air over a large area and can achieve an unsealed state. It can be said to be the best choice for Pu’er tea packaging.
2. Cotton paper can absorb odors
The flavor absorption of tea is very strong, especially sensitive to mixed flavors. It is easy to absorb other flavors and accidentally mix flavors, thereby affecting the quality of a good tea cake. Cotton paper can to a certain extent isolate odors and has a good odor absorption function, keeping the tea cake clean inside and protecting the tea from being eroded by odors.
3. Cotton paper is beneficial for long-term storage
Pu erh tea has the characteristic of becoming more fragrant as it ages, and it is not as prone to expiration as other types of tea. Many people buy it and put it away for a period of time before drinking it, and many collectors even keep a cake of tea for ten or twenty years.
Long term storage of Pu’er tea should neither be completely sealed nor placed in metal cans. Prolonged storage in metal cans can cause oxidation, and the oxidized metal cans are prone to chemical reactions, which can have a negative impact on Pu’er tea. Cotton paper, on the other hand, has the characteristic of being durable and long-lasting. As long as it is stored properly, even if it is left for decades, cotton paper can keep tea well stored.
4. Cotton paper can better convey culture
For laypeople, seeing tea wrapped in cotton paper without fancy packaging can indeed raise questions. But if you know why Pu’er tea cakes are packaged with cotton paper, it will definitely dispel all doubts. In fact, tea merchants have been innovating in the packaging design of cotton paper.
You will see various themed tea cake packaging designs, whether it is ink painting, modern design, or textual representation, all of which convey and inherit their unique emotions and Chinese tea culture.