Biluochun tea, a traditional Chinese brew, stands among China’s top 10 renowned teas.
It belongs to the genre of pan-fired green tea and boasts a history that spans over a thousand years.
Its fame rests on 4 remarkable traits: a pleasing shape, vibrant colors, a robust aroma, and a rich flavor.
Originating from the East and West Dongting mountains around Taihu Lake in Wu County, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, it’s often ed “Dongting Biluochun“.
As an unfermented green tea, the brewing method significantly influences its final flavor. et’s delve into an optimal brewing approach based on my experience.
How do you brew Biluochun tea?
The preferred method for brewing Biluochun tea is the ‘up-throw’ technique. This involves pouring water into the glass before adding the tea leaves.
Key Points
- Teaware: A transparent glass cup is recommended for brewing Biluochun tea. Given the tea’s small and dense nature, using a glass cup provides a clear view of the brewing process. bserv the tea leaves descend from the water’s surface to the cup’s bottom.
- Brewing Water Temperature: Unfermented tea brewing usually necessitates preheating the tea utensils. Hence, we have two distinct water temperatures:
- Utensil heating: 100℃
- Biluochun brewing: 70-80℃
You might wonder why Biluochun’s brewing temperature is lower than other green teas. The reason is its delicate nature; fresh buds make up each Biluochun leaf, which can’t withstand high temperatures.
- Tea Quantity: For optimal flavor, maintain a 1:50 ratio, meaning 2-3g of tea leaves for 100-150ml of water.
- Brewing Water: se pure or reverse osmosis (RO) filtered watero ber
Please do not cover the cup during brewing, as it can greatly impact the final flavor.
Additionally, leave about 1/3 of the tea broth in the cup before adding subsequent water, which can extend the tea’s flavorful potency.
Steps to Brew Biluochun Tea
- Rinse a clear glass with boiling water (100℃) for about 10-20s.
- Dispose of the hot water and pour in 200ml of 75℃ water.
- Add 3-4g of Biluochun tea and watch the leaves gracefully fall from the water’s surface to the cup’s bottom.
- Let it steep for 100-120 seconds, then savor your Biluochun tea.
After mastering the brewing technique, you might be curious about Biluochun’s flavor, especially if you’ve never tasted it before.
What does Biluochun tea taste like?
The flavor of green tea is generally assessed on 4 dimensions: aroma, color, taste, and sweetness.
Aroma
A well-brewed Dongting Biluochun tea emanates a floral and fruity fragrance n a fundamental green tea aroma. The scent is pure, long-lasting, and remarkably refreshing.
ecause the tea plantations are interspersed with fruit trees whose blossoming coincides with the Biluochun harvest, a unique feature of this tea.
Color
Unlike the clear, yellowish-green of Longjing tea, Biluochun tea’s color is somewhat murky due to the abundance of tea hairs on the tender buds used for brewing, which give the tea a cloudy, yellowish-green appearance.
Taste
The fruity aroma of Biluochun tea translates into a taste akin to green fruit just shy of ripeness.
This bright and elegant flavor is a refreshing contrast to the cinnamon or lychee flavors often found in black tea.
Aftertaste
The Piluochun tea experience is not complete without the lasting sweet aftertaste, which subtly lingers in the mouth post-tea consumption.
This light sweetness is not sugary but is unmistakably present in high-quality Biluochun tea.
Conclusion
Biluochun tea, with its unique flavor and comparatively uncomplicated brewing process, is a delight for anyone who appreciates the rich tapestry of sensations offered by different teas.
I encourage you to share your stories or knowledge about tea and welcome your kind messages.
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