Gong Fu Tea|chA - Episode 8 - Bings and Pressed Tea

In this episode, So Han introduces us to the wide world of pressed tea. The most well-known pressed tea is the bing (餅), a circular disc shaped cake, but there are certainly other shapes and sizes! Toward the end of the episode, So Han does a demo on how to crack into a cake of tea using a cha dao (茶刀) or "tea knife."

The teas featured in this episode include:
-BING: Doom Roi, a 2005 vintage single-patch Sheng Pu'er from farmer and tea master Li Shu Lin on Nannuo Mountain.
-BRICK: Elephant Brick, a 2006 vintage Xiao Dui Zi Shu Pu'er, also by picked and processed by Li Shu Lin
-TUO: Xiao Dui Zi Shu Pu'er Mini Tuo by Li Shu Lin
-COIN: Qu Jiang Bao Pian, a hei cha from Hunnan Province pressed into a coin
-BALL: 2016 Shou Mei White Tea Dragon Ball
-MINI BING: Bulang Sheng Pu'er
-BAMBOO CYLANDER: Nannuo Mountain Sheng Pu'er by Li Shu Lin
-GIANT BRICK: Qing Zhuan, a hei cha from Hubei that gets pressed into very dense bricks.

00:03:07 - NOTE: At this point So Han refers to the 桶 (tǒng), which is the Chinese character used to describe the leather box that holds the bings, but the Chinese character for the unit of measure is 筒 (tǒng). There is also some debate as to whether 40 tongs or 12 tongs equals 1 jian.

Gong Fu Tea|chA is a viewer-supported show. Please consider supporting the show on Patreon:   / teahouseghost  

Music by: B. Glenn Copeland (www.SongCycles.com)

Production Credits:
Directed by: Echo Duemig
Director of Photogoraphy: Jacob Berardi
Edited by: Henry Arrambide
Assistant Edited by: Jacob Berardi
Sound by: Echo Duemig