Tea leaves?
They were just carelessly packed in a red plastic bag.
There were quite a lot inside, probably a few taels in weight.
Dahongpao isn't expensive.
It's only the leaves from the Mother Tree of the Da Hong Pao that are truly exorbitantly priced.
During the Ming Dynasty, a scholar on his way to the Capital to take the imperial examination accidentally drank a cup of Dahongpao tea and instantly felt refreshed and inspired with a surge of thoughts.
As a result, he achieved top honors in the imperial examination.
When the scholar returned to Wuyi Mountain, he personally hung the royal robe given to him as a reward on the tea tree.
The tea tree was thus named "Dahongpao," and its leaves became tributes to the imperial court.
Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, tea leaves from Wuyi Mountain have been especially pricey, as their incredible 'rock bone' and floral fragrance are incomparable to other region's teas.
