This mini cake (or “mini tuo”) of 2025 Wengji Jingmai raw Pu’erh is as cute, convenient, and giftable as it is delicious.
Grown in the Jingmai Mountain Ancient Tea Forest—a UNESCO-recognized treasure in Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Pu’er, Yunnan—this tea comes from one of the largest and best-preserved ancient man-cultivated tea ecosystems in the world, spanning over 28,000 mu (~1,867 hectares) and dating back to the 10th–14th centuries.
Wengji Village, one of the most traditional settlements in the forest, is home to the Blang ethnic people, where tea culture is woven into daily life. You’ll see dried leaves hanging between buildings, and stone carvings of tea adorning homes—signs of a living heritage where tea is truly the soul of the community.
Mini Cakes vs Regular Tea Cakes
For centuries—especially during the Song and Yuan dynasties—compressed tea shapes like cakes, bricks, and tuocha made it easier to transport and preserve tea along the ancient Tea Horse Road. While large Pu’erh cakes (350–375 g) are the most common, mini Pu’erh cakes or mini tuo (迷你沱) are smaller, more portable versions of the traditional bowl-shaped tuocha.
Traditionally, top-grade material was reserved for large cakes, while bricks and tuo often used lower-grade leaves—meaning most mini cakes were historically more about convenience than novelty than quality. This is why we never carried mini cakes before, preferring dragon balls instead. Most mini cakes we tried had poor mouthfeel and flavor.
This one changed our mind. It delivers exceptional quality at an outstanding price.
Why Mini Cakes?
Portability – Easy to carry and perfect for travel.
Portion Control – Pre-measured for one perfect session.
Gifting & Sharing – Ideal for introducing friends to raw Pu’erh or for tea events.
Tasting Profile
Expect a smooth, thick mouthfeel with no smokiness or dryness. The aroma opens with sweet dried/baked apricot, layered with a hint of citrus zest on the top notes, and a subtle grounding woodiness in the background. Bitterness is very restrained. While the tea itself isn’t overly sweet, the aroma and aftertaste linger sweetly, reminiscent of dried apricot with a soft herbal grass jelly finish.
Brewing Guide
Use a 90 ml gaiwan with one whole mini cake (roughly 8 grams of tea leaves) and 200 °F (93 °C) spring water.
Place the whole mini cake in your gaiwan and give it a quick rinse.
First Infusion: Steep ~30 seconds to let the leaves fully open.
Next 10 Infusions: Just 1–2 seconds each—this tea is strong, so avoid over-steeping to prevent unpleasant bitterness.
After 10 Infusions: Increase steep time by 1–2 seconds each round.
This tea can easily yield 20 infusions. For a stronger finish in later steeps, try filling your gaiwan only halfway.
