Moonrock — Cha Gao Pu-erh Tea Paste

Cha gao — pu-erh tea paste, the concentrated, water-soluble extract of the leaf, reduced down to small dark, irregular pieces rather than dried whole leaf. This batch was extracted in 2018 and has since developed a fine white bloom on the surface — a real, documented feature of aged tea paste, not a flaw.

Deep amber-red liquor, a thick, mellow, distinctly "aged" (chen xiang) character, and none of the bulk of loose leaf or a pressed cake. Marketed under the "Bingdao" name by the supplier — at this format (an industrially extracted paste, not whole leaf), treat that as a style reference rather than a claim about which mountain the material actually came from.

Sold by weight, not by piece — individual chunks run roughly 1-2g each and vary in size. A small amount goes a long way: dissolve it directly in a cup, or drop a piece into a pot and keep adding hot water as it fades — cha gao rarely gives up all its color and flavor in a single pour.