Pu-erh is still a good investment in China

Pu-erh is a dark tea that is fermented after drying and whose taste mellows with age. Its history dates back to between one and two thousand years, with legends of growers in mountainous Yunnan province ferociously guarding their cultivation secrets.

Over the past 20 years, prices for aged Pu-erh have rocketed with the middle-class joining the wealthy in buying it up - less to drink, and more to collect and invest. Tea from the 1930 to 1950 era now sells for up to HK$200,000 (over $25,000 USD) per 345 gram cake.

Although the astonishing growth of the last two decades may not be sustained, Pu-erh is still presently a good investment.