Pu-erh Brick

The native area for Brick tea processing is Southern Yunnan in China. Tea Bricks 'Zhuan Cha' were most commonly produced in ancient China prior to the Ming Dynasty, and at one time, used as currency. From a functional perspective, they were easy to transport along the silk trade route and were thereby compressed. Tea bricks are made primarily from the broad leaf 'Dayeh' Camellia Assamica tea plant varietal and are blocks of tea leaves that have been packed in molds and pressed into block form. Traditionally, wooden molds were used for shaping, which have reduced in popularity to more mechanical methods. Tea bricks are making a resurgence in tea drinking and various forms (Green, White, Black, Pu-er and Golden Tips tea bricks) are available now. Other shapes of compressed teas such as round cakes 'Been Cha' and square discs 'Fang Cha', small bowls 'Tuocha' can also be found. The tea leaves used in the production of tea bricks vary widely in quality, ranging from the use of twigs and mature leaves in coarse grade tea bricks, to the use of pekoes for the production of higher grade tea bricks. Harvested tea leaves are either partially dried and compressed into bricks as whole leaves or thoroughly dried and ground before being compressed into bricks. Newly formed tea bricks are then left to cure, dry, and age before being sold or traded. Our focus is on finding tea bricks made with full mature leaves, tippy pekoes, and the vintage (season of harvest or age).