Work on a small portion at a stable table. Keep your other hand out of the tool’s path, and choose loose tea or the seller’s cake-breaking service if a hard cake makes the task uncomfortable.
Decide whether you need to break it yourself
The Da Xue Shan listing offers a cake-breaking service on request. That is a useful option if you want to brew compressed tea but do not want to use a pick. Confirm the service for your order before relying on it.
- Unwrap the cake on a clean tray or board that will catch loose leaf. Keep the wrapper for identification.
- Look for a loose edge or natural layer. Use a tea pick intended for this task and follow its instructions; do not improvise with a kitchen knife.
- Insert gently along the layer, with fingers and body away from the point. Ease a small section apart rather than stabbing downward through the whole cake.
- If substantial force is needed, stop and choose another edge or ask the seller to separate it.
- Weigh the portion for your recipe, keep crumbs separate and rewrap the remainder.
Why keeping leaves intact matters
A portion containing mostly fragments may brew differently from a looser piece. In the archived raw-cake feedback, broken leaves are associated with a more bitter cup. That is a reason to measure and watch the first infusion, not a basis for promising that every intact leaf will taste smooth.
Follow the exact raw-cake brewing recipe once your portion is ready. Keep the remaining cake away from dampness and strong odors; the home storage guide covers the practical checks.
Sources: reference 1.
