沱茶 was first compressed in this nest-bowl shape in Xiaguan (
下关), Yunnan in 1902 to ease transport along the Tea-Horse Road to Sichuan and Tibet. The name
沱 comes from the Tuojiang River (
沱江) in Sichuan, where the tea was a popular trade good. Standard sizes range from 100g (mini) to 250g.
