Fuding Shou Mei White Tea Cake 2013

Aged, perfect to be boiled. Usually, white tea leaves are loose and inconvenient to carry around. For practically, they are sometimes shaped into compressed spherical cakes – but easy storage and transportation are not the only reasons why this is done; the round shape of the cakes allows the tea to mature. As the years pass, the tea tends to grow smoother and sweeter, and takes on a softer finish and mellower taste.An old Fuding town saying about tea claims that ?tea is only the beginning: in three years it becomes medicine, and in seven years it becomes a treasure. Every sip of an aged white tea cake should be savored and valued.Another benefit to compressing into a cake is how it aids in natural oxidation, for which the shape of the cake is preferred over loose leaves. Only a small surface area of the leaves is directly exposed to the air in a tea cake, so the oxidation reaction is slower and more even, and promotes fermentation on the inside of the cake. The crafting process and shape of the tea give it a more enticing aroma whendry, a more attractive color of liquid, and a more savory taste as well.