「何為純正的普洱茶？」，一直是1990年代中期於東北及東南亞興起普洱茶風潮以來，消費者所密切關注的問題，就如同普洱茶歷經價值與市場巨大變動所呈現之豐富的歷史一樣，「什麼是普洱茶？」的爭論也未曾有定論。兩岸三地的行動者積極參與普洱茶定義之爭以控制其意涵、風味的標準與價值，並進而影響市場與未來的發展。此篇論文將深入分析「何為純正普洱？」的議題是如何牽涉著這值得探討的全球化課題與歷史過程。

What is real Puer tea? This question has been a great concern in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong since the mid-1990s, when Puer became a highly sought-after commodity among consumers in East Asian and Southeast Asian markets. Like Puer’s fascinating history, in which enormous changes in its value and market have taken place, the debate about just what is Puer tea has shifted many times. It has involved actors at both the local and national level across Asia who try to define authentic Puer in order to control its meaning, taste, and value—and consequently its markets and future development. This paper will analyze how the “problem of Puer” actually engages global issues and historical processes.