{"title":"Raw Pu-erh Tea Dragon Balls","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"hi-tech-raw-pu-erh-tea-dragon-ball-rolled-puer","title":"Hi-Tech Raw Pu-erh Tea Dragon Ball * Rolled Pu'er","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHi-Tech?  What do we mean by that?  Hi-Tech (aka 高科技) refers to a 2012 cake we pressed which was never for sale.  Each cake was unique because it's made up of 3 years of mao cha samples all blended together.  Hobbes from the \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/half-dipper.blogspot.co.uk\/2013\/09\/how-high-is-your-high-tech.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eHalf-Dipper blog reviewed the tea here\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Hi Tech Dragon Ball is the same idea as the 2012 Hi-Tech cake and is made up of all our good mao cha samples from late 2012 until 2015.  We get alot of mao cha to evaluate and even the ones we absolutely love there is no way we can ever drink all that mao cha.  We took the mao cha samples and blended all of them together which gave us about 13 kg of mao cha, enough to make about 1600 of these Dragon Balls.  Each one will be unique since it's impossible to harmonize\/blend hundreds of samples together with equal amounts of each, especially in an 8 gram ball like this which will have many teas represented in it, but certainly not all.  Don't expect consistencty in taste and aroma, but you can expect they will be enjoyable!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2018 UPDATE!  - We made 25 kilograms more from mao cha samples that we got between 2015 and 2017!  The original 1600 dragon balls produced from 2012-2015 mao cha samples are SOLD OUT.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese Dragon Balls were made by my mother in-law and father-in-law. They make them in their spare time.  They use little pieces of cotton to compress them instead of saran wrap.  Saran wrap compression is the most common method because it's faster, but it causes off gassing into the tea since the tea must be steamed to soften and is very hot. We use cotton, which is safe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% of the profits from the Hi-Tech Dragon Ball will go directly to my father\/mother-in-law.   We will give them the first installment during Chinese New Year as a little red packet since they won't accept money directly from my wife or I.  Most likely they will put most of it in the bank for their retirement!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are not EU MRL certified.  We are offering a \"Da Xue Shan Dragon Ball\" which has been tested and is EU MRL Ceritified.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach Dragon Ball is roughly 8 grams of tea (+\/- 0.5 grams)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop","offers":[{"title":"1 Dragon Ball","offer_id":33268248390,"sku":"","price":3.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3 Dragon Balls","offer_id":33268422982,"sku":"","price":10.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10 Dragon Balls","offer_id":33268423046,"sku":"","price":32.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9817\/products\/2015_hitech_longzhu_bao3.jpg?v=1481665732"},{"product_id":"da-xue-shan-raw-pu-erh-tea-dragon-ball-rolled-puer","title":"Da Xue Shan Raw Pu-erh Tea Dragon Ball * Rolled Pu'er","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWe used Autumn 2015 Tea Leaves from the Da Xue Shan (Big Snow Mountain) area in the southwest of Mengku county in Lincang.  The tea trees are old plantation tea trees between 40-60 years old growing naturally.  No pesticides have been used and the tea has been tested in laboratory and passes EU MRL standards.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe taste is thick and sweet with a bitter\/astringent after-taste that gives the tea a strong dimensional taste and feeling.  Brew with short infusions at first to gradually coax out the flavors.  Strong Cha Qi!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese Dragon Balls were made by my mother- in-law and father-in-law. They make them in their spare time.  They use little pieces of cotton to compress them instead of saran wrap.  Saran wrap compression is the most common method because it's faster, but it causes off gassing into the tea since the tea must be steamed to soften and is very hot. We use cotton, which is safe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e50% of the profits from the Da Xue Shan Dragon Ball will go directly to my father\/mother-in-law.   We will give them the first installment during Chinese New Year as a little red packet since they won't accept money directly from my wife or I.  Most likely they will put most of it in the bank for their retirement!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEach Dragon Ball is roughly 8 grams of tea (+\/- 0.5 grams)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis tea has been tested in a certified laboratory and has passed the MRL limits for pesticide residues as established by the EU Food and Safety commission. For more information about MRL testing and the EU Food and Safety commission \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/yunnansourcing.com\/en\/content\/20-eu-compliance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003eclick on this link\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop","offers":[{"title":"1 Dragon Ball","offer_id":33268645510,"sku":"","price":3.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3 Dragon Balls","offer_id":33268696710,"sku":"","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10 Dragon Balls","offer_id":33268696774,"sku":"","price":26.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25 Dragon Balls","offer_id":41182510186695,"sku":"","price":58.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1 Kilogram","offer_id":41182506451143,"sku":"","price":217.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9817\/products\/2015_dxs_longzhu3.jpg?v=1481664363"},{"product_id":"bang-dong-village-old-tree-huang-pian-raw-pu-erh-tea-dragon-balls","title":"Bang Dong Village \"Old Tree Huang Pian\" Raw Pu-erh Tea Dragon Balls","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a first flush of Spring 2018 \"Huang Pian\" from old tea trees in area of Bang Dong village in Lincang.  Huang Pian (黄片) are mature leaves that are typically removed from the finished mao cha before pressing.  Huang Pian being more mature and larger leaves are typically quite sweet and pleasant to drink, especially those that come from older tea trees.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese Huang Pian dragon balls are certainly pleasant to drink, not weak at all, but less bitter and astringent than a traditional plucked (2 leaf to 1 bud) raw pu-erh.  You might find yourself really enjoying these.  They will age gracefully developing more honey-like sweetness as the years pass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese Dragon Balls were made by my mother in-law and father-in-law. They make them in their spare time.  They use little pieces of cotton to compress them instead of saran wrap.  Saran wrap compression is the most common method because it's faster, but it causes off gassing into the tea since the tea must be steamed to soften and is very hot. We use cotton, which is safe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% of the profits from this Dragon Ball will go directly to my father\/mother-in-law.   We will give them it to them on Chinese New Year as a little red packet since they won't accept money directly from my wife or I.  Most likely they will put most of it in the bank for their retirement!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach Dragon Ball is roughly 7 grams of tea (+\/- 0.5 grams)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly 1400 Dragon Balls made for Spring 2018 (about 10 kilograms)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e**color of wrapping paper and twist tie may differ from that in the photos\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop","offers":[{"title":"1 Dragon Ball","offer_id":12476833071207,"sku":"","price":2.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"3 Dragon Balls","offer_id":12476836216935,"sku":"","price":6.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"10 Dragon Balls","offer_id":12476836249703,"sku":"","price":20.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9817\/products\/4_2de8aa0f-72f0-4613-97e5-6f78b6dc2c73.jpg?v=1533941651"},{"product_id":"2022-na-han-ye-cha-single-grove-raw-pu-erh-tea-dragon-balls","title":"2022 Na Han \"Ye Cha\" Single Grove Raw Pu-erh Tea Dragon Balls","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis year we were very lucky to be able to get about 8000 grams of tea from a small grove of wild trees growing near Bang Dong village in Lincang.  First flush tea was picked over the period of about 2 weeks.  After processing into mao cha and harmonizing (the teas picked on different days are all blended together), the tea leaves were steamed and hand-rolled into 7 gram dragon balls by my mother-in-law and father-in-law (Xiao Yao's mom and dad).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach wrapper is hand-stamped and there are 10 dragon balls in each caddy, for a total of 70 grams of tea. In total only 115 caddies are available!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea brews up a thick full-bodied tea soup that is incredibly complex.  Sweet, bitter, lightly floral with umami and the slightest feeling of brine.  Steeps many many times!   An incredibly balanced tea with strong cha qi! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso try our \u003ca class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/yunnansourcing.com\/collections\/new-products\/products\/bang-dong-san-ke-shu-single-grove-raw-pu-erh-tea-dragon-balls\"\u003eBang Dong \"San Ke Shu\" Single Grove Raw Pu-erh Tea Dragon Balls\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOr the 2018 harvest here: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/yunnansourcing.com\/products\/na-han-ye-cha-single-grove-raw-pu-erh-tea-dragon-balls?_pos=10\u0026amp;_sid=1b0d35b68\u0026amp;_ss=r\" data-product-page-link=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/yunnansourcing.com\/products\/na-han-ye-cha-single-grove-raw-pu-erh-tea-dragon-balls?_pos=10\u0026amp;_sid=1b0d35b68\u0026amp;_ss=r\"\u003eNa Han \"Ye Cha\" Single Grove Raw Pu-erh Tea Dragon Balls \u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThese Dragon Balls were made by my mother in-law and father-in-law. They make them in their spare time.  They use little pieces of cotton to compress them instead of saran wrap.  Saran wrap compression is the most common method because it's faster, but it causes off gassing into the tea since the tea must be steamed to soften and is very hot. We use cotton, which is safe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVideos showing this old grove!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cvideo width=\"405\" height=\"720\" controls=\"controls\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9817\/files\/005003300818a112dea36675.mp4?4067901904416455965\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"movie.ogg\" type=\"video\/ogg\"\u003e\nYour browser does not support the video tag.\n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cvideo width=\"405\" height=\"720\" controls=\"controls\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9817\/files\/095720300818a112dea4899.mp4?4067901904416455965\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"movie.ogg\" type=\"video\/ogg\"\u003e\nYour browser does not support the video tag.\n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cvideo width=\"405\" height=\"720\" controls=\"controls\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9817\/files\/011016300818a112dea61028.mp4?4067901904416455965\" type=\"video\/mp4\"\u003e\n  \u003csource src=\"movie.ogg\" type=\"video\/ogg\"\u003e\nYour browser does not support the video tag.\n\u003c\/source\u003e\u003c\/video\u003e","brand":"Yunnan Sourcing Brand Pu-erh","offers":[{"title":"1 Caddy (10 Dragon Balls)","offer_id":42846853857479,"sku":"","price":55.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9817\/products\/DSC_9661_1.jpg?v=1666888943"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9817\/collections\/2_43f9becc-c18a-4ff6-be34-42be17a6521e.jpg?v=1533940663","url":"https:\/\/yunnansourcing.com\/en-je\/collections\/raw-pu-erh-tea-dragon-balls\/sub-region_mengku-county-lincang.oembed","provider":"Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}