Tea brick
Overview
Black tea
Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than the oolong, green, and white varieties.All four varieties are made from leaves of the shrub Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the...
, green tea
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
, or post-fermented tea
Post-fermented tea
Post-fermented teas are a class of teas that have undergone a period of "aging" in open air, from several months to many years. The exposure of the tea to microflora, humidity and oxygen in the air causes it to undergo further oxidation through auto-oxidation, fermentation, and possibly some...
leaves that have been packed in molds and pressed into block form. This was the most commonly produced and used form of tea in ancient China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
prior to the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. Although tea bricks are less commonly produced in modern times, many post-fermented tea
Post-fermented tea
Post-fermented teas are a class of teas that have undergone a period of "aging" in open air, from several months to many years. The exposure of the tea to microflora, humidity and oxygen in the air causes it to undergo further oxidation through auto-oxidation, fermentation, and possibly some...
s, such as pu-erh, are still commonly found in bricks, discs, and other pressed forms. Tea bricks can be made into beverages or eaten as food, and were also used in the past as a form of currency.
In ancient China, compressed teas were usually made with thoroughly dried and ground tea leaves that were pressed into various bricks or other shapes, although partially dried and whole leaves were also used.
