Know more about Pu Er Tea from an Award-Winning Tea Enthusiast

Established in 2005, Old Village Pu Er is the brainchild of Christopher Chau who is a tea lover and enthusiast. Christopher was born in China, after which he moved to Hong Kong. He migrated to Singapore in 1998 and ran an office supplies business for over 14 years.

In 2006, Christopher started collecting premium Pu Er tea produced in the Yunnan province of China. 7 years later, in 2013, he set up a retail shop to sell quality, high grade tea and teaware.

Old Village Pu Er sells locally produced tea where the tea leaves are taken from Yunnan mountains and then the blending is done in Singapore. In fact, the Pu Er tea flavour, Tropical Romance, won an award for SIngapore at the Hong Kong International Tea Fair.

Vanilla Luxury: How did you become a Pu Er Tea enthusiast?

Christopher Chau: I almost gave Pu Er tea a miss as it is not as fresh as Green Tea nor as fragrant as Iron Buddha Tea. However, just as I was leaving from my tea tasting session, the recurring sweetness and body texture really impressed me. There was no stopping since then.

Vanilla Luxury: Share with us more about Pu Er Tea.

Christopher Chau: The price of Pu Er tea ranges widely, which tends to be confusing for most beginners, including myself, when I first started out. Pu Er tea comes in two different forms - raw or fermented. Fermented Pu Er tea is aged through a fermentation process which makes it more affordable than raw Pu Er tea which takes a long time to age.

Vanilla Luxury: What are the health benefits of drinking Pu Er Tea?

Christopher Chau: Pu Er tea is the oldest tea spice in the world. It contains the same health benefits as most other teas. The 3 major claims are - it helps to shrink fat cells in our body, it helps our digestive system, and it has a great impact on lowering blood sugar levels.

Vanilla Luxury: We understand that Pu Er Tea is as valuable as gold. Share with us which tea cakes are worth collecting for investors.

Christopher Chau: Yes, aged Pu Er tea can cost anywhere from S$280 to S$22,000 for a single disc, which is as valuable as gold. Tea cakes from Old Village Pu Er are worth collecting for investments or for personal consumption. The standards of collectable Pu Er tea should meet the following criterias:

• The tea has to come from Pu Er’s famous mountains
• The tea leaves are from old tea trees such as Arbor Trees and Ancient Tea Trees
• They are handpicked during the spring season
• They undergo traditional aging process from thousands of years ago

I always advise customers to taste their tea cakes before purchase.

Vanilla Luxury: Were you surprised when Tropical Romance won an award at the Hong Kong International Tea Fair?

Christopher Chau: At the Tea Fair, I was actually asked, “What kind of tea can Singapore possibly produce?” I was inspired by Mr Pak Shui Ching, famously known as the Godfather of Pu Er tea, who believes that all superior tea leaves are produced through a comprehensive recipe. A good tea can only be born if perfect chemistry is achieved using the finest tea leaves. The factors behind our success are our extensive knowledge and use of the right blending technique.

Vanilla Luxury: Which is your personal Favourite Pu Er Tea?

Christopher Chau: My personal favourite tea… well, it must be my next brew!

To know more about Pu Er Tea, visit Old Village Pu Er at 167 Geylang Rd, Singapore 389242, for a taste of Pu Er Tea from 12 different mountains.