Cha Gao

From Wikitia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Cha Gao (茶膏), or "tea paste" in English, is a Tea resin made from boiling pu'er tea and water together. Cha Gao is known for its convenience compared to Western or Gongfu methods.[1]

History

Cha Gao first appeared during the Tang dynasty and was further developed during the Qing dynasty. During this time period, Cha Gao was seen as a delicacy tea. It was exported to Northern China and consumed primarily by the elites. Because the tea was mostly consumed by the elites, it was mostly forgotten after the fall of the Qing dynasty. In 1950, a Yunnan-based tea company was commissioned to produce 1750 kilograms of Cha Gao for the Chinese army preparing to go into Tibet. In the 21st century, Cha Gao is commonly associated with low-quality pu'er because it is commonly poorly produced.[1]

Production

Cha Gao is primarily produced in the Yunnan province in China.[2] There are three main steps to the production of Cha Gao tea. First, Pu'er tea and water are boiled together for a couple of days until it turns into a thick resin. The resin is then completely dried. The resin is then aged for one year. Cha Gao that is not aged will have a funky aroma and smell, although many producers still skip this step.[1]

Preparation

Contrary to typical tea leaves, Cha Gao is typically brewed with only half a gram of tea compared to the normal 3-10. For normal brewing, use half a gram of tea resin for every 500mL of hot water. Sometimes you may have to use a spoon or pick to fully dissolve the resin. You can also dissolve the resin in cold water but be aware that it will take longer to dissolve.[1]

Cha Gao can also be brewed Gongfu style. To brew it in this Chinese method, you may place 1 gram of resin in a Gaiwan and slowly pour boiling water over the resin and infuse for about 10 seconds. You can continue brewing this way until the taste is lost.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "What Is Pu-erh Cha Gao". Path of Cha. 2020-01-06. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  2. "chagao". en.tea.community. Retrieved 2024-08-18.

External links

Add External links

This article "Cha Gao" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.