{"product_id":"sino-french-60th-anniversary-gushu-ripe-pu-erh-tuocha","title":"Sino-French 60th Anniversary GuShu Ripe Pu-erh Tuocha, 2024 (100g)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLao Cha turned the little tuocha in his fingers before breaking off a piece.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHis young disciple looked at the bird's nest shape. – “Why press tea like this?”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e– “The shape matters. That deep, cavitied, hollow center gives the tea more room to breathe. Air moves through it more easily, and as the tea rests, the aroma has space to deepen.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe disciple watched Lao Cha struggling to break off a piece. – “And why is it pressed so tightly?”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e– “This is Xiaguan's signature compression. They press tightly. It stores well and loosens slowly. A tea like this is meant to keep unfolding through many infusions.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThis Xiaguan Tea Factory Ripe Pu-erh from GuShu material is crafted to commemorate a piece of pu-erh history: the long relationship between China and France built around tuocha tea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXiaguan Tea Factory invented the bowl-shaped tuocha (沱茶) in 1902 (then operating under the name Yong Chang Xiang (永昌祥)) and has remained the most decorated tuocha producer in China ever since. Their pressing technique is registered as intangible cultural heritage. The deep-bowl shape of the tea is no accident – it promotes airflow and gives the aroma room to develop as the tea ages.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 30px; float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/Pressing-Tuocha_IMG_8022_480x480.jpg?v=1779339397\" alt=\"Pressing Tuocha\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis 100g pressing is Xiaguan's 2024 commemorative tuocha, released under their Gan Pu-erh Label (甘普洱 – “Sweet Pu-erh”) to mark the 60th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations – established on January 27th of 1964, when France became the first major Western State to recognize the People's Republic of China. In 1975, Xiaguan developed a specific recipe for ripe Pu-erh tuocha called Xiao Fa Tuo (销法沱) – literally \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"the tuocha for selling to France\".\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Regular exports to Paris began the following year, and Xiao Fa Tuo went on to win the World Food Gold Medal three times. French and Chinese tea drinkers came to share one particular taste-memory: the classic caramel aroma that this tuocha line has carried across continents.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe leaves come from the ancient tea forest of Dapingzhang (大平掌) on Jingmai Mountain in Pu'er. In 2023, UNESCO inscribed Jingmai's ancient tea forests as a World Heritage Site – the first ever UNESCO site dedicated to a tea cultural landscape, recognizing more than a thousand years of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003etea-forest coexistence\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, in which tea grows within the natural rainforest.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the cup, the liquor pours deep mahogany-red and clean. The signature caramel and cherry aroma rises from the gaiwan, joined by warm wood. In the taste, there are baked apples and dark dried fruits with cherry on later infusions. The mouthfeel is thick and refreshing. The finish is lightly sweet and delivers a cooling sensation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e that marks a well-fermented Shou. Like a true GuShu Pu-erh, it opens up gradually, developing with every infusion. – A commemorative tea, and simply a very good shou tuocha.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e•\u003cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ePlace of Origin:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eDapingzhang, Jingmai Mountain, Pu'er, Yunnan, China\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eProducer:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eXiaguan Tea Factory (\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e下关茶厂) – Gan Pu-erh Label (甘普洱)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e•\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eAltitude: \u003c\/strong\u003e1500-1600m\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e•\u003cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eHarvest Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring 2023\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e•\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePressed:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2024 (tight compression)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e•\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePicking Standard: \u003c\/strong\u003eone bud and two leaves\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e•\u003cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eAroma:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cherry, caramel\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e•\u003cspan class=\"Apple-tab-span\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Taste\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Baked apples, plums, caramel, and a lightly sweet, cooling sensation\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e• Tea Tree:\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eYunnan Da Ye Zhong (云南大叶种)\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e   \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBrewing guidelines:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 18px; margin-bottom: 00px; margin-left: 18px; float: none;\" alt=\"Water temperature\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/thermometer_32x32.png?v=1613590565\"\u003e212℉ \/ 100℃\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'San Francisco', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/Western-Teapot_45649ad9-ec24-45d3-907f-2a0efe273c28_50x50.png?v=1616729997\" alt=\"Tea-to-Water Ratio for Western Brewing\" style=\"margin-bottom: 00px; float: none;\"\u003e1 g per 70-100 ml\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 7px; margin-bottom: 00px; margin-left: 7px; float: none;\" alt=\"Brewing Time\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/clock_32x32.png?v=1613590565\"\u003e3-5 min\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cimg style=\"margin: 10px 7px 00px 11px; float: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/Gaiwan_Yixing_0f85d4d2-7572-4ccc-8863-e496a3933739_32x32.png?v=1616730143\" alt=\"Tea-to-Water Ratio. Gong Fu Cha\"\u003e1 g per \u003cspan\u003e20 ml\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cimg style=\"margin-right: 7px; margin-bottom: 00px; margin-left: 7px; float: none;\" alt=\"Brewing Time\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/clock_32x32.png?v=1613590565\"\u003e5 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003esec + 5 sec \u003c\/span\u003efor each subsequent infusion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Xiaguan","offers":[{"title":"Whole Tuocha (100g; $0.38 per gram)","offer_id":42242272788535,"sku":"XIGUAN FRENCH SHOU PU-ERH","price":38.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2669\/5944\/files\/Sino-French_60th_Anniversary_GuShu_Ripe_Pu-erh_Tuocha_GUL_1489_low_res.jpg?v=1779506715","url":"https:\/\/pathofcha.com\/products\/sino-french-60th-anniversary-gushu-ripe-pu-erh-tuocha","provider":"Path of Cha","version":"1.0","type":"link"}