I picked up a couple pieces of this 2003 Fang Cha Pu-erh at Teahouse Kuan Yin a couple of weeks ago. I don’t believe I’d ever seen pu-erh in tiny squares before. They are about an inch and a half wide.
They brew into a wonderful, sweet pu-erh that lasts for at least six infusions. Each infusion tastes better than the last, releasing more of the flavor and character of the tea.
Part of the appeal of these small pieces was that they are the perfect size for my yixing tea thermos. So all I have to do is toss one in with boiling spring water on the way out the door in the morning and then I have tasty tea all day, each time I add water. I am not one to spend any more time getting ready in the morning than is absolutely necessary, so I like the convenience of this way of tea.
One thing I found interesting was that the character on the front of the little package is 檟, which in Pinyin is “jiǎ,” an old term for the camellia sinensis bush.