Zao Xiang Xiao Shu Tuo (Date Fragrance Mini Black Tuo Cha)

Zao Xiang Xiao Shu Tuo (Date Fragrance Mini Black Tuo Cha) was created especially for new puer tea drinkers. Each piece weighs 3 grams, yielding a mild cup that is more approachable for new puer drinkers. Date Fragrance Mini Black Tuo Cha producers use 5th grade maocha, carefully fermenting it to give a the tea a lightly-cooked Chinese Date fragrance. The flavor becomes more fruity and less earthy than other puers with a smooth, sweet character that sustains through multiple infusions.

Tuochas have a brief history compared to puer cakes. In the beginning, puer cakes were flatter discs to make them easier to stack and transport. The word “tuocha” comes from the fact that these bowl-shaped cakes were originally made in Yunnan and transported to the Tuo River in Sichuan, where they were sold. Initially tuochas were made into 100 gram cakes, but later producers began experimenting with different sizes, making miniature tuochas for convenience, so you can drop a whole piece in your glass or pot and brew it easily. Tuochas were traditionally made from green puer, but producers started using black puer to make this convenient size available to black puer lovers.

Date Fragrance Mini Black Tuo Cha brews up bright red and can be re-infused multiple times. If you want a richer taste, you can brew two pieces together.

Note that the wrappers may change year to year