Long Jing (Dragon Well)
Bi Luo Chun (Pi Lo Chun)
Green Tea Blogs from TeaHub
Long Jing (Dragon Well)
According to GB 18650-2002, Product of designations of origin or geographical indications-Longjing tea, there are three Long Jing origins, and only Long Jing teas that were grown and produced in the 168 square km West Lake area can be called West Lake Long Jing. Shi (Shi Feng) Long Jing is considered the best of West Lake Long Jing. The four Shi Long Jing production areas are: Weng Jia Shan, Long Jing Village, Man Jue Long and Yang Mei Ling (Weng-Long-Man-Yang). Our discussion is focused on spring West Lake Long Jing.
Dry Leaves: Flat; no split at the tip; no
or very few hairs; glossy green color. High grade tea leaves are flat and
smooth with one leave and one bud (may also have two leaves and one bud),
have sharp tips, and are in tender leave green or light yellow tender leave
green color (Shi Feng Long Jing). Medium grade tea leaves are somewhat flat
with two leaves and one bud, and are in fresh green color. Low grade tea
leaves are slightly flat with three leaves and one bud or two leaves only,
and are in dark green color.
Liquor: High grade tea has bright tender leave
green or tender leave yellow color.
Aroma: Delicate, refreshing. Low grade tea
may have coarse aroma.
Taste: Light, smooth, tasty, and refreshing.
When brewed improperly, the tea may have astringent tastes.
Wet Leaves: High grade tea leaves are soft
and smooth, in good shapes, and are in tender leave green color.
Relevant readings:
Decoding
West Lake Long Jing Grades
Video: Long Jing - How it is made
Reading Long Jing Tea Leaves Gem!
Bi Luo Chun (Pi Lo Chun )
Bi Luo Chun is originated from Dong Ting, Jiang Su. Although there are Bi Luo Chun from other regions on market now, they are by no means close to what Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun has to offer.
Dong Ting Mountain consists of two mountains - East Mountain and West Mountain. East Mountain is a peninsular in Lake Tai, while West Mountain is an island in Lake Tai. The perfect climate, soil and precipitation make Dong Ting Mountain an ideal place for tea trees. Dong Ting farmers grow tea trees side by side with fruit trees, which gives Dong Tin Bi Luo Chun its famous floral fruity aroma.
Bi Luo Chun needs to be plucked in spring. Pre-Ming Bi Luo Chun are the best. It is normally made of one leave and one bud. 500g high grade Bi Luo Chun can be made from around 70,000 tea buds! High grade Bi Luo Chun leaves are fine and hairy.
One well-known characteristic of Bi Luo Chun is its snail like shape. Slim leaves are twisted into the shape of snails and are covered with hairs. Our special presentation brewing instruction will bring out the beauty of tea leaves.
Relevant readings:
Video: Bi Luo Chun - A story from Dong Ting
