Cashew Butter Handmade Wild Fu Zhuan (腰果醬手工野生茯磚, Yāo Guǒjiàng Shǒugōng Yěshēng Fú Zhuān, “Cashew Butter Handmade Wild Fu Brick") - Fu Zhuan, also known as Fu Cha, is a style of fermented tea produced in both Hunan and Shaanxi provinces. It is known for the presence of a particular microbe called Eurotium cristatum, that colonizes the interior of these fluffy, loose bricks and appears as tiny golden specks.
This young brick is made from wild harvested tea from Anhua, Hunan, pressed into a 500 gram cake in the traditional style using a wooden mold. This produces a softer cake than modern automated pressings using metal molds, that ages quickly because it allows more air to enter the interior of the brick. The pleasant almond sweetness of this young Fu Zhuan has a distinctive savory mouthfeel and wholesome richness that is reminiscent of cashews.
Being both wild and hand-pressed, this cake is immaculate starting material for aging, as well as being complex and mellow enough to enjoy immediately.
