Stress and the production of Pu'er Tea

[vibrantdragon]

I wonder how much stress placed on the tree can change Pu'er flavor. I know with Oolong it is very important. The higher altitude trees have high wind, very cold temp and the leaves grow very slowly. The best Oolong comes from these trees in the worst conditions.

Last year, 2008, the early leaves around Menghai all were damaged a little from the late cold spell and bad fungus. Tea was still made from the good leaves, but I wonder how that stress changed the flavor? I have heard some reports of these early spring leaves being sweeter during the after taste, anyone else tasted this? Anyone else have input on stress and the taste of Pu'er.

I also know that making tea such as Oolong and black tea you do a mechanical twist or stress on the leaf after picking to spread the enzymes over the leaf more. I have not heard of Pu'er leaves being twisted, what have others heard?

Drinking this tea reduces our stress, but what about the stress needed to make a good tea?

[shogun89]

Even though I have no expeirience with it, I would have to say that stres would have an impact on the flavor of the tea. And for the twisting, they are rolled instead. This breaks the cells.

[tony shlongini]

I don't pretend to know anything about cultivating tea, but when it comes to producing wine, "stress" is important, and often for the better. Old vines (vieilles vignes} are very desirable, as they produced less, but much more concentrated, fruit. Vines are pruned to simulate this effect, and some of the world's greatest dessert wines are produced by grapes affected by the botrytis cinerea fungus.