History·18 March 2026·4 min read
The tea brick — the compressed money of Asia
On the roads of Central Asia and Tibet, tea pressed into bricks was both a drink and a currency.
In Tibet, Mongolia and Central Asia, tea leaves were pressed into compact bricks. These were used as money: you could pay with a whole brick or break off a piece for smaller amounts.
Money good to drink
The tea brick circulated as money into the 20th century. It had the advantage that, in need, the money turned into hot tea — a currency with built-in "consumption value".
