Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun

Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun is a renowned green tea from the famous Dong Ting tea growing area. The name ‘Green Snail Spring’ refers to the shape of the leaves and the spring harvest time. The liquor is light and crisp with pronounced vegetal notes and a sweet yet savoury touch.

Brewing guide: 2.5g in 250ml water at 80°C for 2-3 minutes

£2.50£8.50

(10-50g)

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Origin:Dong Ting, Jiangsu Province, China
Elevation:250m
Cultivar:Dong Ting Qunti Native Cultivar (洞庭群体种)
Harvest time:April 2022
Sourcing:Specialist Chinese Wholesaler

Description

Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun (洞庭碧螺春) is a light green tea from the famous Dong Ting Mountain tea growing area of Jiangsu Province. The name of this tea translates as ‘Green Snail Spring’ and refers to the colour, the shape and the plucking time for this tea. Classic Bi Luo Chun originates from Dong Ting Mountain area next to Lake Taihu in Jiangsu Province, China and this region still produces some of the best Bi Luo Chun tea. This particular tea is from early April (around 4-6 days after Qing Ming) 2022 harvest.

You may also be interested in our early spring Ming Qian Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun.

Bi Luo Chun is one of China’s 10 famous teas and is regarded by some as one of the best green teas from China. This particular type from Dong Ting is particularly renowned for having a more tippy, uniform appearance of the tea leaves and for having a fresher, cleaner taste with floral and fruity notes.

The original name for this tea was Xia Sha Ren Xiang, which can be translated as ‘Astounding Fragrance’ or ‘Scary Fragrance’. The legend tells the story of a girl, who discovered this tea. Whilst plucking the tea leaves, she ran out of space in her basket, so she put the tea leaves between her breasts instead. The tea, which got warmed by her body heat produced a strong fragrance, which greatly surprised the girl, hence the name Astounding (or Scary) Fragrance. The Astounding or Scary Fragrance name stuck well due to the wonderful aroma that is characteristic of this tea. This name was changed later by one of the Chinese emperors, who thought that a more elegant Bi Luo Chun or ‘Green Snail Spring’ is a more fitting description for this special tea.

The green and silver tippy leaves of this Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun green tea have a distinctive twisted shape, resembling a small snail. The dry leaves have a characteristic strong yet pleasant aroma. The liquor is pale and very delicate with a floral and vegetal fragrance. This tea has a refreshing taste with a lovely light profile. There is a delicate vegetal and floral taste that has notes of green vegetables and flowers, such as courgettes and dandelions. This tea has a delicate sweetness to it that gives way to a slightly savoury aftertaste.

We suggest brewing at 80°C for 2-3 minutes according to your taste. It can be brewed around 2-3 times depending on your preference.

This Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun green tea was first featured in our July 2017 Curious Tea Subscription Boxes.