Pu-er tea has a history dating back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD). It's a green (raw) or fermented (cooked) tea that is aged for a minimum of 10 years (preferably 30) and tastes like no other tea on earth. It is smooth, rich, and often reminiscent of organic (some say earthy) substances. One can buy it online and it comes loose, in bricks, balls, or more commonly, cakes that look like a discus.
It is brewed differently than ordinary tea. It is washed first with boiling water and then steeped several times starting with a short steep of about 90 seconds. For a good video of the Kung Fu technique go to this Youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLcGch6koh4.
Purists like Gabe won't sweeten Pu-erh tea but more advanced tea-masters like Rachel and myself like a bit of brown sugar or, even better, high-quality light grade Canadian maple syrup. This is real maple syrup and has a very delicate flavor. Don't even think of using regular maple syrup.
