Compressed tea

A compressed brick of pu-erh tea. Individual leaves can be seen on the surface of the brick.
Compressed tea
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese緊壓茶
Simplified Chinese紧压茶
Literal meaningtight press tea
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinjǐnyāchá
Wade–Gileschin3-ya1-ch'a2
Korean name
Hangul고형차
Hanja固形茶
Literal meaningsolid tea
Transcriptions
Revised Romanizationgohyeong-cha
McCune–Reischauerkohyŏng-ch'a
Japanese name
Kanji緊圧茶
Kanaきんあつちゃ
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburnkin'atsucha
Tea brick
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese磚茶
Simplified Chinese砖茶
Literal meaningbrick tea
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinzhuānchá
Wade–Gilesch'uan1-ch'a2
Korean name
Hangul벽돌차 / 전차
Hanja甓돌茶 / 磚茶
Literal meaningbrick tea
Transcriptions
Revised Romanizationbyeokdol-cha / jeoncha
McCune–Reischauerpyŏktol-ch'a / chŏnch'a
Japanese name
Kanji磚茶
Kanaひちゃ、とうちゃ、せんちゃ
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburnhicha, tōcha, sencha
Tea cake
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese餅茶
Simplified Chinese饼茶
Literal meaningcake tea
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinbǐngchá
Wade–Gilesping3-ch'a2
Korean name
Hangul떡차 / 병차
Hanja떡茶 / 餠茶
Literal meaningcake tea
Transcriptions
Revised Romanizationtteokcha / byeongcha
McCune–Reischauerttŏkch'a / pyŏngch'a
Japanese name
Kanji餅茶
Kanaへいちゃ、もちちゃ
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburnheicha, mochicha
Tea lump
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese團茶
Simplified Chinese团茶
Literal meaninglump tea
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyintuánchá
Wade–Gilest'uan2-ch'a2
Korean name
Hangul덩이차 / 단차
Hanja덩이茶 / 團茶
Literal meaninglump tea
Transcriptions
Revised Romanizationdeongi-cha / dancha
McCune–Reischauertŏngi-ch'a / tanch'a
Japanese name
Kanji団茶
Kanaだんちゃ
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburndancha

Compressed tea, called tea bricks, tea cakes or tea lumps, and tea nuggets according to the shape and size, are blocks of whole or finely ground black tea, green tea, or post-fermented tea leaves that have been packed in molds and pressed into block form. This was the most commonly produced and used form of tea in ancient China prior to the Ming Dynasty. Although tea bricks are less commonly produced in modern times, many post-fermented teas, such as pu-erh, are still commonly found in bricks, discs, and other pressed forms. Tea bricks can be made into beverages like tea or eaten as food, and were also used in the past as a form of currency.