What is shape of pu erh tea have and different ?
Pressed Pu Erh tea is usually the highest quality
Actually, all teas were pressed at one point. The reason behind this is simple. Pressed tea takes up less space. And when, 1000 years ago, transporting goods by caravan, space was at a huge premium.
But why press pu er tea now >>>
It has to do with the aging. Since premium Pu-erh tea are aged from anywhere between 5 and 40 years. The pressing allows the tea farms to control the delicate aging process better than leaving the leaves loose in a pile.
So how many kinds of shape of Pu Erh tea >>>
1.Pu Erh Cake (Bing, Beeng, Disc )Â
A round, flat, disc or hockey puck-shaped tea. Size ranges from as small as 100g to as large as 5 kg or more, with 357g, 400g, and 500g being the most common. Depending on the pressing method, the edge of the disk is rounded or perpendicular.
Because people packaged seven of the bing together at a time for sale or transport.
2.Brick tea ( zhuancha )
A thick rectangular block of tea, usually in 100g, 250g, 500g, and 1000g sizes.
Zhuancha bricks are the traditional shape that was used for ease of transport along the Ancient tea route by horse caravans.
3.Tuo Cha (Bowl, Nest )Â
A convex knob-shaped tea with size ranging from 3g to 3 kg or more, with 100g, 250g, 500g being the most common. The name for “tuocha” is originated from the round, top-like shape of the pressed tea. Or from the old tea shipping and trading route of the Tuojiang River.
In ancient times, tuo cha cakes may have had holes punched through the center. So they could tie them together on a rope for easy transport.
4.Melon/pumpkinÂ
Pumpkin shaped ball which symbolizes good fortune and wealth. This shape like the famous “Tribute tea” (貢茶). Expressly made for the Qing Dynasty Emperors from the best tea leaves of Yiwu Mountain.
5.Tong ChaÂ
Packed in Bamboo Tube. Tea Farmer forced down raw tea leaves in the open end of the aromatic bamboo section. Then put the bamboo sections in a wood fire barbecue. As the bamboo dries in the fire the special aroma intermingles with the Pu-erh inside.
