Dragon Pearls are Pu'er Tea in the form of small balls, a type of Compressed tea. In the past, compressed teas had to be broken up before brewing, but now Dragon Pearls come in 5-8 gram portions, just right for one serving, eliminating the need for breaking them apart. Dragon Pearls retain the traditional handcrafted shape of compressed Pu'er teas while also catering to the modern lifestyle's demand for convenience and practicality, making them a recent favorite among compressed Pu'er teas.

The most important step in brewing Dragon Pearls is to loosen the tightly compressed tea ball so that the leaves can fully expand and release their flavors.

Here's my personal method for brewing Dragon Pearl tea:

First, warm the Teaware to maintain a consistent temperature;

Place the tea ball in the cup and rinse it with water just enough to cover the tea ball. After about 7-10 seconds, discard the rinse water;

For the second infusion, pour boiling water directly onto the Dragon Pearl, and let it steep for 5-7 seconds before pouring out the tea;

By the second infusion, you can observe the Dragon Pearl starting to breathe as bubbles appear on the surface of the tea ball, indicating that it is slowly opening up;

The tea from the second infusion is ready to drink, although I usually use it to rinse the cups instead of drinking it;

From the third infusion onwards, the tea ball truly opens up. If the tea hasn't fully unfurled yet, don't rush it—let the tea ball unfold naturally without intentionally stirring or shaking the cup,

Dragon Pearls are particularly suitable for brewing in a gaiwan. After the seventh infusion, I like to add aged tangerine peel from Xinhui for an additional flavor profile.