A compressed army

In China, the city of Xi’an and its Terracotta Army attract tourists from all over the world. But as a tea lover, staying in the country’s former imperial capital, I was drawn to a different representation of this army – soldiers made not from clay, but simply from tea. Compressed tea, to be more precise, the kind usually shaped into cakes after the leaves have been steamed. To make a cake, you need a mould, and a mould allows you to give the tea whatever shape you like. So why not that of the warriors in this famous army? They may not be life-size, but they still have an impressive presence.

The province of Shaanxi, where the beautiful city of Xi’an is located, is not known for its teas, unlike the more mountainous provinces further south. All the more reason for local producers to show a little creativity.

If you’re not familiar with compressed tea, the leaves can be crumbled and infused several times.