Initially, Pu erh tea was pressed into the form of discs (cakes), bricks, “melons” or nests, to facilitate its transportation on the backs of mules or horses through what is known as the “Horse and Tea Route” (later I will tell you about this famous route).
Over time, other ways of pressing pu erh in a more “artistic” way were developed and people, instead of drinking this tea, kept it as a souvenir of a trip or received it as a gift.
Nowadays, this way of presenting pu erh is so common that it is sold in every tea market in China and in many souvenir shops. The tea used to produce these artistically pressed pu erh is of the lowest quality and contains mainly very fine particles (broken tea leaves), which is why it is not recommended to drink it but rather to use it as decoration.
This is the case of the decorative medallions of pressed pu erh that we bring to you at EURO TE. The medallions have the figures of the Chinese zodiac, which is based not on the month of birth, but on the year in which we are born. There are 12 animals and each one represents different personality traits.
If you are a tea lover, find out which Chinese zodiac figure corresponds to your year of birth and treat yourself to this original ornament!
Olivia Medina
Tea Master, EURO TEA
