Shu Puer Lao Cha Premium — puer stones with a deep, buttery flavor and an aging time of up to 15 pours. Ideal for long tea drinking. Buy with delivery in Ukraine.
Shu Puer Lao Cha with Jojoba — puer stones with a deep flavor and a nutty aftertaste. Withstands 12+ spills, ideal for long tea drinking. Buy with delivery in Ukraine.
Shu Puer Lao Cha with Jasmine - dark tea pebbles with a floral aroma and buttery taste. Ideal for infusions and cooking. Buy with delivery in Ukraine.
Lao Cha — Aged Tea with a History
Lao Cha (Pu-erh bricks) is a collective term for aged Chinese teas that have undergone extended natural storage. Literally, "lao" means "old" and "cha" means "tea". Behind this simple name lies an entire world: pressed cakes, bricks and tuo cha that have been stored for years and decades, gradually transforming their character under the influence of time, air and microbial activity.
How Lao Cha Differs from Ordinary Pu-erh
The defining difference lies in age and storage conditions. Lao Cha is not simply a tea that has been kept — it is a tea that has lived: absorbing its environment, transforming, becoming softer and deeper over time. The sharp astringency of young sheng pu-erh fades, giving way to roundness and maturity. The earthy notes of shu pu-erh evolve into something more refined — dried fruit, camphor, woody resin, occasionally floral tones.
This is precisely why lao cha cannot be meaningfully compared to young teas: it offers a fundamentally different experience, a different pace, a different depth.
Flavour and Aroma
The aroma of aged lao cha is multi-layered and unexpected. Depending on age and storage conditions, one may detect notes of dried fruit, forest nuts, aged wood, camphor or the noble dust of an antique shop. The infusion is clear, ranging from amber to deep red, with a characteristic oily sheen.
The flavour is soft and enveloping, without sharp astringency. The richness builds gradually, like fine music. The aftertaste is long and warm, sometimes with a gentle sweetness and the sensation the Chinese call "hui gan" — a returning sweetness that emerges several seconds after each sip.
How Lao Cha Is Stored
Storage conditions shape the character of an aged tea no less than the raw material itself. Two principal types are distinguished:
Dry storage — the tea was kept in a dry, well-ventilated space. Transformation proceeds slowly, and the flavour remains cleaner and fresher, with bright fruity and floral notes.
Wet storage — higher humidity accelerates fermentation. The aroma becomes more earthy and intense, with camphor and woody notes moving to the foreground. Such tea develops a characteristic "warehouse" aroma that experienced drinkers recognise immediately.
How to Brew
Lao Cha reveals itself best in a gaiwan or a Yixing clay teapot.
- Water: 95–100°C
- Amount: 5–7 g per 100–150 ml
- Rinse: essential — discard the first infusion after 5–10 seconds
- First infusions: 15–20 seconds, gradually increasing
Aged lao cha yields 8–12 infusions or more. The flavour shifts with each steeping, revealing new dimensions — from fresh fruitiness at the outset to warm depth in the final infusions.
Where to Buy Lao Cha in Ukraine
The Miy Chay online store offers a wide selection of aged teas — Miy Chay lao cha includes examples from different years of storage and production regions. You can buy lao cha online with delivery to Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and other cities across Ukraine. The price of lao cha in our catalogue reflects the age and quality of each individual item. Ordering is straightforward: browse the catalogue, place your order, and we will deliver promptly and reliably. Current pricing and delivery terms are available on each product page.
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