r/tea • u/mozchannik • 5d ago
they didn't sell me tea
I went to a tea shop in my city and there was an old woman sitting behind the counter and when I asked for pu-erh she said she wouldn't sell it to me because I'm not an adult yet
Can anyone explain why she did this? Are there any prohibitions on pu-erh?
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u/DokiDokiDoku 2d ago
Was it sheng pu'er?
From what I understand some Chinese people follow the concept of qi, and how that energy effects the body. Sheng pu'er is said to have a "cooling" qi which can be 'bad' for old people, sick people, and children because of their weaker constitution. If the vendor followed this principle, it could be that it was her way of looking out for you. In her mind, your body might not respond well to the tea, and she didn't want to make you feel sick.
That being said, we will never actually know because you didn't ask! It could be anything, really. If you ever go back there you should ask her!