More than five thousand years ago, from the account of Shen Nong encountering seventy-two toxins in a day and finding relief in tea, to Lu Yu defining tea as “the fine tree of the south” in his work, The Classic of Tea, people's lives have been closely intertwined with tea. However, since tea is consumed and utilized, one cannot avoid the question of how to preserve it. We know that preserving tea requires avoiding high temperatures, strange odors, humidity, and oxygen. For modern people, even with advanced technology, preserving some teas that are prone to spoilage demands great care.

Improper preservation can lead to the tea at home becoming spoiled, wasting an entire tin of tea, which can be heart-wrenching. Unlike us, ancients did not have refrigerators or desiccants for preservation. So, under adverse and tool-scarce conditions, how did they preserve tea? After reading this, you will undoubtedly marvel at their ingenuity. 1. Tang Dynasty People Used Ceramic Ware and Silk Cloth to Store Tea The Records of the Censorate by Han Wan of the Tang Dynasty states, “Store it in ceramic ware to prevent heat and moisture.” This indicates that during the Tang Dynasty, tea was stored in ceramics, also known as “tea urns,” which were shaped like “drums with flat bottoms and long rectangular necks with flat mouths.” They were generally used to store loose tea or powdered tea. Nobility preferred to store tea in high-quality silk bags, usually sewn with inner linings for better storage; or they wrapped tea cakes layer by layer, taking them out when needed.

2. Song Dynasty People Stored Tea in Bamboo Baskets In The Manual of Domestic Economy, Zhao Xihu of the Song Dynasty wrote: “The method of storing tea is to put ten catties of tea in a bottle each year. Burn rice straw into ash and fill a large bucket. Place the tea bottle in the bucket and fill the space around the bottle with ash. Cover the ash and compact it. When using the tea, remove the ash, open the bottle, take a small amount of tea, then cover it with ash again.” They first placed the tea in bottles, with ten catties per bottle. Then, every year, they burned large amounts of rice straw into ash and filled a bucket. They placed the tea bottle in the bucket and covered it with ash on all sides. When drinking the tea, they removed the ash, opened the bottle, and took a small amount. After taking the tea, they restored the original state. Here, the rice straw ash served to dehumidify and prevent dampness. It is likely that the tea preserved in this way had excellent freshness retention. 3. Ming dynasty People Stored Tea in Ceramic Urns Wang Xiangjin of the Ming Dynasty summarized tea preservation and storage in three sentences in The Book of Flowers: “It likes warmth and dryness but dislikes cold and dampness; it likes coolness and clarity but dislikes steaming and stuffiness; it should be kept alone and away from fragrances and odors.” This means it needs to be dry, protected from direct sunlight, and free from strange odors. Additionally, during the Ming Dynasty, a method of storing tea alongside bamboo leaves was invented, also known as the ceramic urn tea storage method, which could store dozens of catties of tea. First, dry bamboo leaves were woven into circular pieces and layered at the bottom of the ceramic urn. Then, the urn was filled with tea, followed by several layers of bamboo Leaf pieces. Next, six or seven layers of Xuan paper were folded, dried over fire, and tied to the mouth of the urn. Finally, a square thick white wooden board was placed on top to effectively isolate moisture. Storing different varieties of tea in the same urn was called “pin si.” Although this storage process was complex, it could store dozens of catties of tea with quality assurance. It seems that ancient methods of preserving tea far exceeded our limited imagination. Although ancient science and conditions may seem relatively backward compared to modern times, just looking at their tea storage methods reveals the ancients' love for tea, intricate yet meticulous. While modern people do not need such complex steps to store tea, they cannot be too casual either. At least observe four points: avoid strange odors, avoid humidity, avoid oxygen, and avoid high temperatures. Only then can your favorite tea withstand the ravages of time and provide the best taste experience. (Source: Micro Tea Way, Image Source: Tea Friends Network)