Research and Background: The golden flower mold on dark tea, scientifically known as Eurotium cristatum, is an essential beneficial microorganism in the fermentation process of tea. The spore sacs formed by the golden flower mold in dark tea are golden yellow and visible to the naked eye, hence the name “golden flower.” The golden flower mold plays a key role in the fermentation and aging process of dark tea, especially in the Fuzhuan tea of Anhua dark tea, which is famous for its unique content of golden flower mold. The presence of golden flower mold has a significant impact on the quality and flavor of the tea and also endows dark tea with certain health benefits.

Procedure: We designed a mold for left and right eyes for tea imprinting. A batch of eye-shaped tea bricks was customized by SHANG XIA in cooperation. A simple meditation space of tea bricks was constructed in the room using Pu'er tea, which was freshly picked, rapidly dried at high temperature, then fermentated naturally over time.

Later, we cultivated salt crystals at the corners of the eye-shaped tea bricks. Brick tea is widely consumed in Tibet and Xinjiang, and it is a traditional habit to drink tea with milk and salt. At the same time, the salt crystals at the corners of the eyes are also a metaphor for tears.