Da Cha Tou Ripe Pu-erh Nuggets 50g

The first tea to sell out at the source

Cha tou are lumps of tea, anywhere from fingertip-sized to the size of a silkworm cocoon, that form naturally when the leaves clump together midway through the fermentation of ripe pu-erh. Among ripe pu-erh, cha tou are prized for their especially fine aroma and their smooth, rich, concentrated taste, which makes them hugely popular within China as well. Da cha tou (large cha tou) are often kept by the producers as part of their own collections, or bought up a year in advance by close customers on pre-order, so they are hard to obtain even if you travel to the producing region, let alone find on the tea market. Cha tou made from naturally farmed tea in particular are targeted by many tea merchants, so competition with other buyers is common, and it is not unusual for tea you had reserved to be snapped up by someone else. HOJO was able to secure these cha tou by placing our reservation a year ahead.

Large, medium, and small cha tou

Because cha tou form naturally during fermentation, freshly produced cha tou vary widely in shape and size. The producer grades these lumps of differing sizes into large, medium, small, and extra small. Da cha tou are the largest grade of all. Even so, since they are naturally formed lumps, "large" does not mean they are uniform in size.

Cha tou are natural lumps that form only from spring-picked tea

The fermentation of ripe pu-erh involves a succession of microorganisms: aerobic bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, molds, and yeasts. Cha tou form when the leaves clump together naturally during microbial fermentation, through the interaction between the tea's own compounds and polysaccharides produced by microorganisms, chiefly actinomycetes. Cha tou form only when the raw material is the first spring picking, which is rich in compounds; they essentially do not form from summer-picked tea. Autumn-picked tea yields a few, but only in tiny quantities. With autumn tea, fermenting several tons of leaves produces at most 20 to 30 kilograms of cha tou, and those are loose, crumbly lumps whose taste and aroma are clearly inferior to spring cha tou, with a very coarse flavor. Spring tea is so rich in compounds that its cha tou grow very hard and large. However, since ripe pu-erh made from spring tea is itself very scarce, cha tou are extremely rare on the pu-erh market.

An oxygen-free interior creates the signature aroma

Cha tou are not just unusual in shape; their taste and aroma are distinctive at a level anyone can recognize. Compared with ripe pu-erh from the very same batch, the aroma is far fruitier, the taste richer and sweeter, and the texture smooth and velvety on the palate. The reason cha tou have such a distinctive flavor lies in how they form. A cha tou formed midway through fermentation is only half-fermented inside, and its interior becomes an oxygen-free environment. At that point the lump still holds a moderate amount of moisture, and it continues to mature for about a month in the heat generated by fermentation. Maturing in the absence of oxygen is what gives the tea its intensely fruity aroma. Large cha tou in particular contain a greater volume of oxygen-deprived leaf, which is why their aromatic character and quality stand out even among cha tou.

The white powder on the surface is actinomycetes, essential to ripe pu-erh fermentation

You may sometimes notice a white, powdery substance on the surface of cha tou. At first glance it looks like mold, but it is not mold; it is actinomycetes. Mold is filamentous, not powdery. Ripe pu-erh is made by microbial fermentation, and when that fermentation is well controlled, actinomycetes multiply abundantly, so they can be seen on the surface of the finished tea. When tea is pressed into cakes, the steaming dissolves the actinomycetes and they are no longer visible, but cha tou are sold in their raw, freshly produced state, so it is not unusual to see them. Actinomycetes are an important microorganism in the fermentation of ripe pu-erh and are not harmful to the body, so please rest assured. Below is a photo of ripe pu-erh partway through fermentation. The lumps are cha tou. The white patches visible here and there are the actinomycetes that are indispensable to good ripe pu-erh fermentation.

The white areas are the actinomycetes essential to ripe pu-erh fermentation

Tea from a naturally farmed garden at 2,000m

This product is made from spring tea (2019 harvest) from a naturally farmed tea garden at around 2,000m elevation in southwestern Lincang. Natural farming uses no fertilizer at all, so the tea grows slowly, over a long period. As a result it is rich in minerals and polyphenols, with a concentrated, deeply flavorful taste and aroma.

Da cha tou smell of dried fruit

Da cha tou are produced through ideal fermentation and carry a sweet aroma like dried fruit: dried apricot, prune, fine raisins, brandy. There is none of the musty, stale, or earthy smell often associated with ripe pu-erh. Cha tou mature faster in storage than ordinary ripe pu-erh. With aging, the fruit aroma grows stronger and the tea becomes richer.

A perfect match for milk, black tea, and shochu

With their sweet dried-fruit aroma and silky-smooth texture, da cha tou pair beautifully with milk. Brew da cha tou on the strong side and add milk, and you get a smooth milk tea with a rich, lingering aftertaste. Adding spices to make a chai is also an interesting idea. Da cha tou are also excellent for blending with black tea. The two go together remarkably well: the middle notes of the black tea sit on top of the deep dried-fruit aroma of the da cha tou, adding complexity to the fragrance. As for which black tea to blend with, my personal preference is for Yunnan black teas. Yunnan Ancient Tree Black Tea Xing Mi Xiang, Ancient Tree Dianhong, and Yunnan Gongfu Black Tea are all good choices. A blend of black tea and da cha tou is delicious straight, of course, but it is also fun with milk. Da cha tou also go very well with shochu, so do give it a try. Personally, I find it pairs well with kokuto (brown sugar) shochu. Da cha tou are delicious on their own, but combined with black tea or milk and mixed with shochu, they become downright addictive.

Storing da cha tou

As for storage, unopened da cha tou will keep for decades without any problem. Even after opening, their quality is very stable; to put it bluntly, you could leave them for a year or two and notice no significant deterioration. The one thing to avoid is light, especially sunlight, which causes rapid deterioration, so please store them away from light.