We are so excited to share this tea in collaboration with the people at Hugo Tea. This pressed tea cake is half black tea and half white tea (see what we did there) and 100% delicious. 

TAKE A LOOK AROUND | The Xishuangbanna region of China, located in the southernmost part of the Yunnan province, is home to some of the most prolific tea-growing microclimates in the world. There are six ancient tea-growing mountains on each side of the Lancang River, each with their own distinct terroir and personality. This unique collaborative tea cake is composed of two different teas grown on two of those storied mountains: an oxidized black tea from Gedeng, and a sun-dried white tea from Bulang (specifically, from the renowned Banzhang village). 

TRUST THE PROCESS | Both varieties were picked at peak ripeness on their respective mountainsides, but their paths diverge from there. The Gedeng leaf is fully oxidized into black tea, while the Banzhang leaf undergoes traditional sun-drying. They are then pressed together into one cake by the careful hands of Xiaohui Quan, a master teamaker in Yunnan with over 35 years of experience in the craft. 

TAKE A SIP | While we traditionally refer to our combined coffees as “blends,” this tea cake is better described as layered. Each tea remains distinct and has its own role to play in the cup, making the entire sipping experience a dynamic and inviting one. Gedeng’s black tea is smooth and silky, lending notes of brown sugar, toasted cashews, and vanilla to the profile. The white tea from Banzhang adds structure to the cup, bringing stewed peaches and a lingering, raw honey-like sweetness to every sip. This combination brings an aroma of fresh clover, acidity reminiscent of orchard fruits like scuppernong grapes and pears and a finish of walnuts and confectioner’s sugar.

Origin | Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China

Producer | Xiaohui Quan

Process | Oxidized | Sun-dried

Materials | 2026 Spring Gedeng black tea | 2026 Spring Banzhang white tea

Tea cakes, also known as bing cha, were popularized by the famous Pu’erh teas. Tea cakes are loose leaves that are pressed into small disks, partially for transportation and partially for preservation. The pressing allows for a slow and smooth aging process. Tea cakes will oxidize and develop with time and people will often keep them for decades!

Western Brewing Method

A typical serving of this tea runs between 3-5 grams per 6-8oz of water. Using a tea knife, or a dull butter knife, flake of pieces of the cake. Try to keep the chunks intact. Before steeping, do a 3 to 5 second wash with boiling water and then discard. If you have a tea pet, this is what normally is poured on top of them. After this wash, you are ready to steep using water between 202°F-212°F. You can steep multiple times! Typically we find 3 to be the best for enjoyment.

• Steep 1 - Steep one should be done for around 3 minutes. You will get the most full bodied presentation of the cake.
• Steep 2 - The second steep will be for 4 minutes. The leaves will have had time to fully expand by this point and the result will be a more well rounded and sweet presentation.
• Steep 3- For the final steep, we recommend 5 minutes and you will get more of the underlying woody and herbal notes.