I am a huge fan of tea. In the past week I have encountered a type of tea that I never knew existed before! The tea brick. It was featured on the Amazing Race. And during a tour to Monticello and Ashlawn in Charlottesville, VA, they demonstrated how to use a tea brick, saying that this was the type of tea that would have been used in the New World during the 1700's. Tea Bricks would have been the tea that was thrown into Boston Harbour during the Boston Tea Party. Not tea bags, not loose tea. Supposedly, the tea bricks can be transported easily and won't succumb to the elements (mold and wet) the way loose tea would.
The bricks have sections imprinted onto them and could be broken up and used as currency and in trade. I had been to Monticello in previous years and did not remember this part of the tour! It seems like all of a sudden there is this interest in the authentic tea brick that was not there previously.
The Amazing Race did not show you how you used the tea brick. You would grate the tea off of the brick and into your cup and add the hot water!
So of course, I bought a tea brick and I can't wait to try it!! 
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7 comments:
Those are really cool looking. I wonder how many cups you could make with one brick? And would a brick be sold to a household or a shop? Netflix offers a show called "All in this Tea" where a buyer goes to China and visits different growers. At one point a pie shaped brick is shown to him. Not as decorative as the ones you saw though. Brian
Where does one purchase such a thing?
Most online tea ordering places will carry them. :-) There are all sorts of forms.
LB
lamenting the demise of Specialteas.com
I think I've seen tea bricks at Cost Plus World Market.
I'm not a tea drinker, but I find the concept of the tea brick very interesting. I was kind of wondering what they were when they were talking about them on The Amazing Race.
Hey, who ever said that you can't learn anything from television. :D
I found a tea brick for my Mom when I was in Louisiana. It smelled so wonderful! Too bad I don't drink the stuff.
Just picked up a small brick at Monroe's place. Thanks for this fun history tip.Girlguides
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