Why have a cake when you can have a slice? It's Pu'er à la carte, with quality mao cha pressed into a very thin wafer, then cut into individual 8-gram serving sizes. The individual packaging makes it the perfect Pu'er for travel and obviates the need for measurement: simply use a whole slice or break one in two for your gongfu cha session. Available individually, in cartons of 6 slices, and boxes of 4 cartons.
Intense and savoury, the Slices of Shu seep out a dark, faintly violet liquor full of umami—aged soy sauce, dried mushroom, and malt—with an almost chewy, soup-like texture. Though it's distinctly earthy, evoking an aged paperback book, it simultaneously manages the cleanness of a good port wine, without any mustiness or bitterness. For any who crave a rich and salty shu, it really hits the spot.
See Slices of Sheng for a light and fruity Sheng Pu'er with the same style of pressing.
Watch our Slices of Pu'er tasting for an in-depth look at these unusual Pu'ers.
Start with few seconds. Increase the brewing time at each following infusion. Exception: If the leaves are pressed, make the first infusion longer than the second.
For best results in gongfu cha, brew in a Yixing teapot.