A green tea Bing Cha (tea cake) from Cangyuan in Lincang prefecture of Yunnan. Made from small, young, newly sprouted silver leaf tips and leaves. Lincang is the mountainous home of the Wa ethnic minority and was historically seen as too "wild" to be worth settling by neighboring powers, notably British Burma and ancient China. We have been aging this cake since 2005 and find the flavor currently quite enjoyable.

Lincang Climate
Summers are warm and very humid, with the great majority of days receiving some rainfall; Monthly mean temperatures range from 11.2 °C (52.2 °F) in January to 21.6 °C (70.9 °F) in June, with an annual mean of 17.5 °C (63.5 °F). Rainfall is heavily concentrated in the warmer months.

Lincang Qing's compressed shape enables it to maintain its freshness longer than loose leaf green tea.

Size: 5" diameter
Weight: 150 Grams
Cup Servings per Cake: 80

Water Temp °F (°C)	Quality of Water	Quantity of Leaf (tsp / 8oz water)	Steep Time (minutes)	Infusions
170°F (77°C)	Best with Spring water	1	3	3-4

Yunnan green teas are known for their earthy, vegetal flavor and smoothness. To bring out these desired qualities while avoiding too much bitterness or astringency we recommend using slightly cooler water. If the water is too hot, the leaf could 'stew', creating a bitter, “spinachy� cup. Moderately hot water, 160 to 180 F, with one teaspoon of leaf per cup and a steeping of 2 to 3 minutes provides 2 to 3 satisfying infusions.

Another common method would be to enjoy the tea Chinese style. Merely place a few leaves at the bottom of a cup or glass, add hot water, and cover. After a couple of minutes or so the leaf will unfurl and sink to the bottom of the vessel allowing you to drink from the top. When the water is down to just over the leaves, simply add more water. This style provides many infusions for a small amount of leaf.

Bing Cha leaf can be broken off in single serving pieces which separate into individual leaves during infusion.