Anna > wrote:
> I guess I don't know what kind of tea it is. It is about the size of a
> nickel and wrapped in paper. The brew has a musty smell and is fairly dark
> brown. It doesn't seem to leave an after taste. The smell of the used
> leaves is kind of like the smell of seaweed or the ocean.

This sounds like black pu erh ("composted tea", left in a damp
environment to ferment for a while). They're great - I had one at
breakfast this morning. Besides flavor, another nice thing about them
is that they are hard to screw up. Oversteeping won't make them
bitter. I use one for 4 - 8 ounces of boiling water depending on
preferred strength. Rinse once with boiling water first. It can be
resteeped - the second steep is stronger than the first, because by
then the tuo has disintegrated. Third is okay too; fourth is weak.
Cantonese drink this stuff by the gallon, very dilute. Workers bring
one to the office in a jar and keep refilling with hot water.

If my suggestions make for bitter tea then you probably have a green pu
erh (composted green tea, approximately). Same instructions except with
slightly cooler water and you shouldn't oversteep.

Have fun,

Rick.