Jinggu "Cha Gao" Instant Raw Pu-erh Tea
This is an excellent Cha Gao made entirely from Jinggu area (in Simao) raw pu-erh tea. These mini 1 gram bricks are individually wrapped and perfect for making tea on the go. We recommend dissolving these in about 300-500ml of hot water. These can also be dissolved in cold water as well (might take a bit more time).
These raw cha gao brew up a sweet and floral tea that is smooth to drink with little or no bitterness. The special process has given these a mellow almost semi-aged character!
Roughly 1.0 grams each (the weight you choose will include the weight of the foil wrapping which is negligible).
NOTE: This is a new batch (from 2023 tea) that became available on May 20th 2024. Foil color may differ from pictured!
Cha Gao - Instant Pu-erh Tea 茶膏 :
This specialty of Yunnan province uses a technique to take the liquid from the tea leaves and then solidifies the liquid into shapes which can easily be dissolved in water to make tea. 'Cha Gao' literally means 'tea paste', and this technique evolved from a process developed in the Tang 唐 and Song 宋 dynasties, while the process of making Pu-erh Cha Gao in particular was enhanced and perfected during the Qing 清 dynasty, which was considered to be the pinnacle of 'cha gao' quality. Unfortunately, imperial techniques employed during the Qing dynasty were lost with the collapse of the Qing dynasty in 1911, and attempts to revive the industry in subsequent decades fell short and the practice of making tea-paste practically vanished. Now, with modern technology it is possible to produce tea-paste that is of similar quality to that which was produced during the Qing dynasty. When preparing, use one unit per 500 ml of water and pour the water over the unit little by little to allow it time to completely dissolve; some cha gao also require that they be placed into water that has already been poured.