• compressed tea is formed using pu-erh tea leaves
• the pu-erh tea leaves are steamed, pressed into shape and dried; common shapes are bricks and cakes
• tuocha compressed tea is formed in the shape of a nest, usually 100g in weight; for the convenience of everyday use, mini tuocha, weighing about 5 grams, are popular
• compressed pu-erh tea can be stored for years, decades even, it undergoes continuous fermentation and should be stored in contact with air at room temperature
• similar to black tea, compressed tea improves with age; some of the best pu-erh tea cakes can be up to 70 years old and very expensive
• best brewed at 100°C using one part tea to six parts water
• compressed pu-erh tea is commonly brewed using the Gong Fu brewing method