During the process of turning tea leaf into ripe Pu’er, a relatively high degree of compression takes place toward the bottom of the fermenting piles. This compression, along with the heat that occurs within the tea, causes some of the leaf to press together and form tight nuggets of goodness.
This particular tea leaf was harvested and compressed in 2005 and like all cha tou gives up the best flavor using the hottest water possible. We learned while in China that cha tou is best rinsed three times rather than the usual two one would perform on other ripe teas.
Relish many steepings of this rich smelling tea which yields a full-bodied and clear red cup of ripe tea joy!