Cha Hua Shi 2022

If the small, naturally forming clumps of Shu Pu'er called Lao Cha Tou (老茶头; literally "old tea head") are likened to gold nuggets, then these Cha Hua Shi (茶化石; "tea fossils") must surely be the equivalent of diamonds—luckily, they are much more affordable! The small, slightly shiny, and super-hard tea pebbles rarely appear on the European market, even though they have a lot to offer. The dry aroma is reminiscent of our Nuomi Xiang Hong Cha, but with a strong sweetness added to the sticky rice note. When hit by water, this sweetness becomes even more prominent, very much reminiscent of Vanillekipferl (a traditional German/Austrian vanilla-flavored Christmas cookie). Unsurprisingly, the taste is a mix of slightly salted cookie dough, vanilla, and sticky rice. Finally, it should be noted that these tea fossils are almost immortal—you’ll likely give up before they do! You could even try boiling them on the stove to extract even more of their sweet, creamy goodness.

Written by Sven

Production process

During wet-pile fermentation (渥堆; wo dui), which differentiates the ripening process of Shu Pu'er from Sheng Pu'er, pectin is produced, causing the buds and leaves to stick together. The tea is then pressed into noodle-like shapes using a 150-ton hydraulic press before the fermentation process continues. After fermentation, the tea is dried and cut into small granules—these are the tea fossils.