Bi Lo Chun - Emerald Spring Spirals, Famous Chinese Green Tea

Bi Luo Chun is translated as "Emerald spirals of spring". Sometimes the name is translated as "Emerald Snail" or "Green Snail".

Indeed, the twisted tea leaves and buds are shaped like small snails.

Tea is grown and produced in Jiangsu Province (China), on the slopes of the Dongting Mountains, a truly unique and amazing place. To date, the area of production of Bi Lo Chun has expanded far beyond these two slopes, but the best tea is collected from these plantations.

The raw materials for this tea are the young upper leaves and the unopened tea buds (tips), collected in early spring.

Tea is collected and twisted into a spiral (hence the name). One kilogram of real tea Bi Lo Chun contains 14-15 thousand of such sprouts.

According to the legend, wild tea was grown on the Bee Lo cliff, which the peasants collected exclusively for their own consumption. But in one of the seasons, tea was so fertile that there were not enough baskets to fold the tea leaf. Then the collectors began to fold the collected tea in the bosom. Warmed by the warmth of the human body, tea exuded such a powerful sweet aroma that the collectors fainted.

Bi Luo Chun was called "With feet knocking fragrance."

Subsequently, when this green tea was presented to the emperor, he found this name truthful, but not too harmonious, and he himself gave the name to this wonderful tea. Tea was named “Emerald Spirals of Spring” - and to this day tea gourmets from all over the world enjoy the wonderful aroma and taste of Bi Lo Chun.

According to another version - a girl who collects tea, began to fold it on top of her head. How many tea leaves can hold onto the children's crown - the story is silent, and we will not be so picky - this is a legend!

Variations of legends are great, one of them also says that this green tea was allowed to collect only virgins. The girls collected delicate leaves for themselves in the bosom, and the tea, heated on the girl's breast, acquired a unique flavor.

All the legends agree on one thing - the tea is warmed and exudes a stunning aroma.

In the treatise Sui jian lu (“Notes after what he saw”) it is said: “In the Dunta mountains tea grows, similar to wild mountain cha-chie (芥茶), only more refined. Its taste is sweet and fragrant, in the world it is called "bringing to a swoon aroma." The tea that grows on top of Bi Lo is the most delicious, its name is Bi Lo Chun.”

Bi Luo Chun is on the list of China's 10 most famous teas. This list is constantly changing, but Bi Luo Chun always remains in it.

Bee Luo Chun of the highest quality is produced in Jiangsu Province, near Yixing, Wu County, Dong Ting Mountain. At Dong-ting Mountain there are 2 peaks. Bi Lo Chun is grown on the eastern and western slopes of this mountain.

The special climate of this area gives the roots of tea bushes the necessary moisture, leaves are covered with warm and humid fog, and the neighborhood with fruit plantations gives a special fruity touch to Bi Luo Chun tea - this is the aroma of flowering peaches, plums, apricot, tangerine and pomegranate trees.

Young leaves and undiscovered buds of Bi Lo Chun grow and absorb the energy of the sun simultaneously with the flowering of fruit trees. Kidney fluff is enriched with pollen and gives tea a unique fruity floral aroma. That is why the Bi Lo Chun varieties most rich in the content of tips (undistorted fluffy buds) are most appreciated.

Processing method

Bi Luo Chun is collected in early spring - from the first day until the end of April. They collect one kidney and one upper leaf, which has just started to open. The size of the leaf should not exceed 2 cm, it is the youngest leaves and carry all the energy of life. For the most selected varieties of Bi Lo Chun, you need about 90,000 fresh leaves for 500 grams of tea.

Tea is processed on the day of collection. Early in the morning, the collected leaves are sorted and sorted, then manually twisted into spirals.
Since the leaves are very tender, no more than 500 g of raw leaves are dried at once. Drying is roasting for 3 - 5 minutes, at a temperature of 190 - 200 degrees. If the leaves are overcooked, it will be impossible to use them for Bi Luo Chun.

The leaves crush and air, turning over, for 10 minutes. During this time, they lose up to 60% moisture. Then reduce the temperature and crush-ted another 12-15 minutes. Then twisting follows at t 50 ° - 60 ° for 13 - 15 minutes. After this, 20% of the moisture remains. Then dried and shaken at t 30 ° -40 °. After this, only 10% of moisture remains. After the leaves are laid out on a special paper.

About tea Bi Lo Chun say: One tenderness - three freshness.

How to determine the quality

Green tea Bi Lo Chun, like other teas, has gradations of quality. Selected Bi Luo Chun can be defined even by its appearance - the form of dry leaves - delicate elegantly twisted spirals covered with a fluff. No dribbles, dust, tea chips. The leaves are the same in size and shape, the color in each spiral is dark green (leaf) + white (bud). Dry tea emits a thick, heady aroma of freshly cut grass and fruit.

Bi Luo Chun is divided into seven varieties. The lower the variety, the larger the leaves, the smaller the cannon on them. For Bi Luo Chun of the highest quality, the smallest upper leaves and buds are used as raw materials. Accordingly, the method of processing such delicate raw materials requires special professionalism - the drying temperature is lower, and in general the sheet is treated more attentively and more gently in order to achieve an excellent quality of taste and aroma.

How to Brew Bi Lo Chun

For brewing, use soft purified water with a temperature of up to 80 ° C.
Take a teaspoon of dry tea (with a slide) for a cup or other brewing capacity of 250-300 ml.
Fill with water, leave for 3-5 minutes.
After that, the tea must be poured into another container (to separate the finished infusion from the tea leaf) - a long infusion can make your green tea bitter.

Do not use boiling water! Excessive hot water will destroy not only the delicate sweet taste and aroma of green tea, but most of the beneficial properties of this wonderful drink will be lost.

According to one version, there is a feature of brewing Bi Lo Chun - tea leaves should be thrown into heated water, and not filled with water a dry leaf, as is customary for brewing other varieties. Well, try - maybe this method of brewing will make this green tea even more tasty.

If you have time for tea, we recommend that you brew Bi Lo Chun in a “strait” way. To do this, take a small brewing vessel - it can be a small 150-200 ml teapot, a gaiwan, a teapot with a drain button, or even a regular cup with a brewing capacity.

With this tea brewing, you need to take so much so that the dry leaf fills the brewing capacity by at least a third. Tea is filled with water at 80 ° C and almost immediately poured into cups. The time of infusion should not exceed the time equal to your three free breaths. Tea is drunk from small cups (pial), so that you can enjoy every sip. Thus, you get up to 15 brews, in each of them opening new notes of taste and aroma and enjoying the change of tea conditions.

How to keep Bi Lo Chun

Bi Luo Chun, like any other boron-quality green tea, is a weakly fermented tea. The percentage of its fermentation is 2-5%.

If you keep it warm for a long time, the fermentation process may continue, the tea will darken and lose its taste, aroma and properties. Do not keep it warm for a long time, in the sunlight and in the vicinity of strongly smelling products (coffee, spices). If you purchased Bi Lo Chun in a sealed package, you can store it in the refrigerator. But open packaging should not be put in the refrigerator - there are products and high humidity.
It is best to store such tea in a hermetically sealed special can for storing tea in a cabinet away from light and other products.

In any case - the fresher your tea, the tastier and healthier. Try to enjoy its freshness and do not save it more than half a year.
Be sure to try this green tea, recognized by the emperor himself!

Enjoy your tea with i-tea.club!