close up of a zhuānchá (brick)…

close up of a zhuānchá (brick) of sheng pu-erh (bolei or polei in Cantonese). sheng pu erh is sometimes called green pu erh because it is not processed. its not piled in wet heaps to ferment before forming into shapes. its pressed without prefermentation and develops over time.

i don't know how old these bricks are. Mm-Tai (Mrs. Ng) got them unlabeled in bulk at a warehouse in China in the 1990s. i bought many of these over the years from her.

these ones are as hard as a brick and very difficult to break up.

they smell funky. they are strong and complex flavoured with a brown-red liquor.

once they are opened (broken up), it is best to leave them for a few weeks to a month before dribling.

#tea #puerh #teachain #GM