Dong Tian Fu Di — “blessed cave paradise” — is DaYi's 2020 zodiac Rat commemorative cake, marking also the 80th anniversary of the Menghai Tea Factory. 150g of celebration.
Tea Profile
At a glance: 2020 · Sheng (raw) puerh · 150g cake · Menghai Tea Factory · 1st batch
- Compression & dry leaf: It is pressed into a 150g cake. In the dry leaf you can see well-formed threads and visible buds.
- Liquor: In the cup it is golden yellow, as is usual for young sheng.
- Taste: The first steeps bring a strong bitterness and marked astringency, balanced by a natural sweetness. Through the middle infusions, floral notes with a touch of honey come forward over a sweet base.
- Mouthfeel & body: On the palate it is thick and rounded.
- Aftertaste: After each sip there is salivation (sheng jin).
- Best for: improving your tea experience. Take your time with it — a good choice once you are no longer a newcomer.
Brewing Guide
- Water: fully boiling, 100°C (212°F).
- Steps:
- Add tea (about 5g per 100ml).
- Rinse once: cover the leaves with boiling water for about 5 seconds, then discard. Put the lid on and let the leaves rest for about 10 minutes to open up.
- Steep for 10–15 seconds for the first rounds, adding about 5 seconds each round.
- Pour into a sharing pitcher.
- Serve. Sheng puerh resteeps well for many rounds.
- Treat these as starting points rather than fixed rules. Try high or low pours, fast or slow, and brew in different seasons to find the method that suits you. Brewing the same tea well in any year, season, weather or place takes practice, and that skill is the real goal.
Storage
Keep the cake ventilated, cool and dry, away from sunlight and strong odors (kitchen spices, smoke). For long-term aging, paper or clay containers breathe better than sealed plastic.
A Note on Appearance
Not every cake shows these, but they can occur, especially in teas with more years of storage.
- Bamboo powder (zhu fen): a natural sign of traditional bamboo-husk packing. In Guangdong's warm, humid climate, tiny bamboo insects can make their home in the husk, nibbling the husk and cotton paper wrapper while leaving the tea itself untouched. What they leave behind is a fine powder, seen only on certain teas and more often on aged ones. It is harmless to hygiene; a few strokes with a clean toothbrush or soft brush before brewing is all it takes.
- Tea oil spots: yellowish spots may appear and can come from natural tea oils. They are not a flaw.
- Torn wrapper: small tears or holes in the cotton paper may happen during storage and handling. The tea inside is unaffected.
