What are the options available today?
I know that they originally came in two styles, steamed and un-steamed... is that still the case today?
Who are the modern makers? I've seen a few coming out of Hubei and Hunan... are these any good? How do you tell the high quality ones from the poor quality ones?
I've also heard that they still make them in Georgia. Is that true?
Are there any other places making tea dust bricks? (Uzbekistan? Fuzhou in Fujian? Somewhere else?)
Finally, any advice on preparing the stuff? Just grate some off a corner to make a zavarka concentrate and then add hot water? Or is there a special way?
Apr 10th, '12, 21:45
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Re: Russian black tea dust bricks?
Rice Brick, right? I want to know too. I've never had this tea. Although it may not be my favorite type, I still would love to have a try. Last time I thought of this tea was a few months ago when there was a rumor (which seems true) that the most famous factory (Zha Li Qiao of Hubei) of this type of brick stopped production and was a the brim of bankruptcy.
I once read that there were Russian brick factories in Fujian but don't think there are any nowadays.
I once read that there were Russian brick factories in Fujian but don't think there are any nowadays.
Re: Russian black tea dust bricks?
That's too bad... would you be willing to share a few more details on the factory?
To some degree, I'm surprised that this style of tea is still made at all. It reached its height of popularity in 19th century Tsarist Russia, after all...
To some degree, I'm surprised that this style of tea is still made at all. It reached its height of popularity in 19th century Tsarist Russia, after all...
Apr 21st, '12, 16:02
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Re: Russian black tea dust bricks?
Yeah that's pretty bad. It seems due to poor administration in the process of privatization of the factory. I've never seen their tea in any store in Beijing (but I didn't pay attention either), but the factory is documented in every encyclopedia type of tea book as the most famous one for "Qing brick" and black tea bricks. A book I have at home says it supplies Qing brick to Mongolia, and inner Mongolia, and black tea bricks to Russia, Xinjiang, and Northeastern China - probably to Muslim populations but I don't know. Oddly the book also mentions US as an export market. 
The book also mentions that the "Qing brick" and black tea brick from this factory occupy 95% of the tea market in target regions (I think it mainly points to Mongolia, inner Mongolia and some regions of Xinjiang). So I feel just for political reasons they should keep the factory open. Or maybe that's what they are going to do
The book also mentions that the "Qing brick" and black tea brick from this factory occupy 95% of the tea market in target regions (I think it mainly points to Mongolia, inner Mongolia and some regions of Xinjiang). So I feel just for political reasons they should keep the factory open. Or maybe that's what they are going to do