Size and shape may vary. Weight approximately between: 14 - 25 g or 0.5 - 0.8 oz
China's tea history is so storied and vast that no one can say with certainty who first packed raw pu-erh leaf into the baked peel of a mandarin. Pu-erh was traditionally grown on 6 mountains known as the "Six Famous Tea Mountains in Fujian province."
In the early days of production, tea growers on these mountains devised unique and interesting ways to pack and press their teas. Pu-erh subsequently came to be pressed into the form of mushrooms, coins and bricks, to name but a few. At some point, an ancient producer, seeking a way to differentiate his product in the marketplace, devised a method of hollowing out mandarin oranges, packing his raw leaf inside and aging them in cool mountain caves.
The process used to make mandarin packed pu-erh has remained largely unchanged since early times. To begin, the pu-erh is processed according to traditional methods. Next, fresh mandarin oranges are hollowed out and packed with tea by hand and flash dried at a high heat. (This sterilizes the orange peel and kills off any microorganisms that may be present.)
Traditional Chinese brewing method:
Break off enough tea for one cup, (About a TABLESPOON)