2026 太極 - 小囍餅 （熟茶）Taiji - Mini Cakes (Ripened Tea)

Key Information Place of Origin： Banpo Laozhai + Guniangzhai (Nannuoshan) Weight：100g per canister (10g per mini cake, canister airtight/reusable) Overall Experience：has qualities of a lighter-fermented, high quality ripe (no-off flavors, only chocolate, coffee and other clean, sweet herbal and fruity aromatics along with an oily and rich mouthfeel) Vintage：2019 + 2024 materials ☯️ Taiji - Mini Tea Cakes · Ancient Tree Ripe Puerh A blend of ancient-tree teas from two distinct villages: Banpo Laozhai (半坡老寨), harvested and fermented in 2019 Guniangzhai (姑娘寨), harvested and fermented in 2024 The blend is pressed into individual 10g mini cakes. Each one is a single/two servings, depending on your preference. What’s in the canister 10 mini cakes × 10g (100g total) Pricing Option Price Ripe Pu-erh, 1 canister USD 62 Taiji Set: 1 Raw + 1 Ripe canister (limited offer) USD 108 Taiji Set for returning customers* USD 93 *Returning-customer price: this is for customers who have bought both of our Mini Tea Candies, the Ancient Tree Black Tea and Ripe Puerh. It is part of our Cumulative Purchase Rewards. Yin and Yang Pair it with the Raw Pu-erh. Like the Taiji symbol it’s named for, this set is about balance. The raw puerh, picked in spring 2026 from Duoyi Village (哆依寨), the highest village on Nannuo Mountain, is bright, lively and full of energy. The ripe puerh is dark, smooth and grounding. Both are gushu teas from the same mountain, so tasting them together lets you explore Nannuo’s terroir in two very different expressions. When using the same raw materials, whether ancient-tree tea, plantation tea, or young-tree tea, the production cost of fully fermented ripe Pu-erh is inevitably higher than that of raw Pu-erh. Furthermore, the fermentation process requires more sophisticated techniques than the production of raw Pu-erh, and the risks associated with wet-pile fermentation (wo dui) are considerably greater. But why is ripe Pu-erh generally so much cheaper than raw Pu-erh on the market? The answer largely lies in the cost of the raw materials. In other words, most ripe Pu-erh teas are fermented using relatively cheap materials. Although the term “Ancient-Tree Ripe Pu-erh” has become increasingly popular in recent years, the vast majority of teas marketed under this name are not actually fermented using genuine ancient-tree leaves. After all, the production cost of authentic ancient-tree ripe Pu-erh exceeds that of ancient-tree raw Pu-erh, making it a considerable challenge to sell. However, looking at it from another perspective, this makes genuine ancient-tree ripe Pu-erh all the more precious and rare. The production cost of this tea already exceeds that of raw Pu-erh, meaning that its market is naturally limited to dedicated connoisseurs and passionate lovers of ripe Pu-erh. When appreciated slowly and attentively, top-quality ancient-tree ripe Pu-erh is in no way inferior to ancient-tree raw Pu-erh. In fact, it offers a uniquely soothing and grounding tea-drinking experience, allowing the body to feel more relaxed, comfortable, and at ease. Perhaps this is precisely why the appreciation of premium ripe Pu-erh is beginning to gain greater recognition in the tea market. Tony Chen October 20, 2026 | Sanhetang