Whether you are familiar with Pu-erh tea cakes or a seasoned tea drinker who enjoys it daily, upon first encountering a Pu-erh tea cake, one might wonder: why are Pu-erh tea cakes compressed instead of stored loose? Even though modern technology can now produce Pu-erh tea in loose form, the compressed shape of the tea cake remains unchanged.
Why are Pu-erh tea cakes compressed instead of stored loose? This may seem like a trivial question, but it is fundamental. Experienced tea drinkers likely understand the reasoning, while newcomers may have only a superficial understanding. Many tea enthusiasts believe that compressing Pu-erh into cakes is for convenient storage or simply assume that compression is superior.
In fact, the initial compression of Pu-erh tea cakes was primarily to address transportation losses due to inconvenient logistics during certain historical periods. The artistic Chinese even shaped compressed tea into 'Seven Sons Tea Cakes,' symbolizing reunion with the寓意 that 3+5+7 equals 15, where 15 represents a day of gathering. Regardless of these additional poetic names and auspicious meanings, the reason Pu-erh tea cakes are compressed rather than stored loose is that compressed tea better preserves its aroma and flavor over time.
During the aging process of Pu-erh tea, the tea leaves undergo automatic oxidation, enzymatic oxidation of polyphenols, and microbial transformation. The key factors influencing these transformations include moisture, temperature, oxygen, and light.