What is Chinese Compressed Tuocha and Tribute Tea?
• made in Yunnan Province, the home of Pu-erh tea
• Tuocha can be described as the shape of a bird's nest, a bowl or a mushroom head
• originally tea was compressed into tuocha of various sizes for easier storage, and convenience in transportation; the new mini tuocha provides convenience for today's living
• in old China, tribute tea was used to pay the Emperor in lieu of taxes; only the very best quality teas were acceptable as tribute
• tribute teas are shaped as bricks, cakes or melons, with melons ranging in size from a few hundred grams to several kilograms
• green compressed tea is aged completely naturally; mature compressed tea is given its aged taste more quickly by stacking the tea before being compressed