Years ago, when I traveled to China, I bought some Puerh tea as a souvenir. Back then, I got these small, semi-circular chunks wrapped in paper, just enough to fit in a teapot. I really liked it, so I’d occasionally buy and drink Puerh whenever I found it. When I mentioned this during my recent business trip to China, I was given this large, disc-shaped Puerh tea cake as a souvenir on my way back.
I do remember seeing these large tea cakes for sale when I traveled to China before, but I had no idea what they actually were. It was only after receiving this as a souvenir and doing some research that I learned that these hard, disc-shaped processed teas are called ‘Bing Cha’ (餅茶). Since they’re compressed, they don’t get exposed to oxygen as much, and it seems you can enjoy them as they age and mature.
So, I immediately tried to break it apart by hand, but it was surprisingly impossible! I ended up using a fork to pry off a little bit from the edge, barely managing to get enough for a serving… Apparently, there are special tools, like an awl, for breaking these apart, but it seems super tough no matter what.
It has an earthy aroma and a unique fermented flavor and taste, so it might be a divisive tea, but personally, I absolutely love it. In Japan, you don’t really see it readily available in convenient forms like plastic bottles, so I enjoy sipping on it leisurely at home.
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