A Cake, a Tong, or a Jian: How Much to Buy and Store

Pu'er's packaging units are different from other teas: a cake, a tong, a jian, and the quantities differ a lot. Buy too little and it's gone after a few sessions; buy too much and it piles up at home while you worry about storage. The best way to decide how much to buy is to first work out how much you really drink.

How Much Are a Cake, a Tong, and a Jian?

Taking the most common 357 g Seven Sons cake as an example:

The number of tongs in a jian varies by factory and specification, and there are also cakes of 200 g, 500 g, and other weights, so check before you buy. The origin of these units is in Tong and Jian.

How Much Tea Do You Drink in a Year?

Simple arithmetic tells you:

• One gaiwan session a day, about 8 g: 8 g × 365 days = 2,920 g, about 8 cakes of 357 g, slightly more than one tong.
• Two sessions a day, about 16 g: About 5.8 kg a year, about 16 cakes, a little over two tongs.
• Three or four times a week: About 1.2–1.7 kg a year; 3–5 cakes is enough.

Many people find after doing the math that they don't actually drink a full tong a year. That also means that for most people, buying a whole jian at once is a very large quantity.

Just a Cake, or a Tong?

A single cake suits you if:

• You're drinking this tea for the first time and still getting to know it;
• You want to try several different teas;
• You don't drink tea very often.

A tong suits you if:

• You already know you love it and plan to drink it every day;
• You want to follow how the same raw tea changes over the years, drinking a cake or two each year;
• You're worried you won't be able to buy the same batch later.

For the same tea, a tong usually costs about the same as buying seven cakes individually; some shops offer a small discount, so just ask.

Is Buying a Whole Jian Worth It?

The unit price of a jian is sometimes lower, but factor in these costs too:

• A large amount of money paid at once;
• Storage space and conditions: A dozen-plus kilograms of tea needs a clean, ventilated space with stable temperature and humidity;
• Time: A jian may take many years to drink;
• Taste changes: A tea you like today may not be one you like in 3 years.

So for personal drinking, a jian generally only suits people who drink a lot, are very sure they love the tea, and have suitable storage space at home. Buying simply because "a jian is cheaper" or "prices will go up later" isn't a good reason; collecting is covered in Collecting Basics.

Should You Buy a Whole Jian to Store?

If you want to store tea, a safer approach is:

1. Buy one cake to taste first;
2. If you like it, buy a tong, drink a cake or two, and store the rest;
3. Take out one cake each year to drink and note the changes;
4. After a few years, once you're sure you like how this tea transforms, consider adding more.

That way, the tea you store is all tea you truly like and will drink.

What If You Can't Finish It?

• Store it well: Raw tea can age slowly, and ripe tea keeps too; keep it in a dry, cool, odor-free place, as described in How to Store Pu'er at Home.
• Drink pried tea first: Keep pried tea in a clay or airtight jar and finish it first; see Storing an Opened Cake.
• Share: Give some to family and friends; drinking together is the most fun.
• Change how you drink it: Simmer it, cold-brew it, make milk tea, and it'll go quickly.

How Much Space Does Storing Tea Take?

Pu'er doesn't take up much volume, but it needs "good space":

• One or two cakes: A clay jar or tea canister is enough.
• One tong: About the size of a shoebox, kept in a cabinet.
• Several tongs: A dedicated cabinet or cardboard box, in a ventilated spot away from walls and away from the kitchen and bathroom.
• A jian or more: We recommend a dedicated shelf or corner, with a thermo-hygrometer to keep an eye on conditions.

Taiwan is humid, so controlling humidity is especially important; read Controlling Humidity in Taiwan and Temperature and Humidity Numbers for Storing Tea.

FAQ

Just a cake, or a tong? Buy a cake if you're drinking it for the first time; buy a tong (7 cakes, about 2.5 kg) once you're sure you love it, want to drink it every day, or want to follow its transformation.

How much tea do I drink in a year? At one session of about 8 g a day, about 2.9 kg a year, roughly 8 cakes of 357 g.

Is buying a whole jian worth it? The unit price may be lower, but it's a large sum and needs storage space and time; for personal drinking, it only suits people who drink a lot and are very sure they love it.

How much space does storing tea take? A tong is about the size of a shoebox; several tongs need a dedicated cabinet. What matters is ventilation, coolness, no odors, and stable humidity.