Pre-Qing Ming Bi Luo Chun Wild Tree green tea buds have a distinctive, snail-like shape: according to a Chinese legend, this tea was a favorite of Emperor Kangxi. It has a balanced, round umami taste with hints of boiled chestnuts and an intense yellow-green color. This tea was harvested in early spring in Suzhou, Jiangsu, specifically on Mt. Taihu.
Tasting – Sight and smell
The small leaves of this Pre-Qing Ming Bi Luo Chun Wild Tree are tender, forest green in color with lighter tips and a large number of buds covered with a fine silvery fluff. The shape of the leaves is curled and resembles a little snail, as the name of the tea itself suggests: Bi Luo Chun actually means “green spring snail.” Once infused, they give off sweet vegetable and umami scents, as well as hints of nuts.
The liquor is transparent and pale yellow in color. This is a delicate tea with a light, silky body, evoking the warm sunbeams of an early spring.
Tasting Notes
GONG FU CHA
The first infusion of Pre-Qing Ming Bi Luo Chun Wild Tree brings with it very sweet umami and vegetable notes reminiscent of butter spinach and tender herbs. Emerging with the second brew is an ever-so-sweet hint of boiled chestnut and notes of nuts, predominantly roasted almonds. The umami returns and emerges in the third infusion, revealing a slightly salty taste and hints of vegetable broth. On the palate, however, the closure remains sweet and delicate.
WESTERN
The first sip of Pre-Qing Ming Bi Luo Chun Wild Tree surprises with a remarkable vegetable sweetness of butter spinach and green salad. The evolution is always delicate: hints of boiled chestnut and hints of nuts (praline almonds) appear. The tea then lets umami and slightly salty notes emerge, reminiscent at times of a vegetable broth of boiled zucchini and chard. It remains sweet on the finish, however, where the boiled chestnut returns in persistence.
Place of origin
Mount Taihu, Jiangsu, China
Production
This is a very classic process which, after an initial withering in the open air, involves cooking the leaves in ovens heated to around 180°C.
Brewing method
We highly recommend infusing this tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves (about 4 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. With water heated to 75°C, one can proceed with an initial infusion of 20 seconds and, keeping the water at the same temperature, proceed with multiple infusions increasing the time by 5 seconds each time (20 – 25 – 30…)
This tea has a longevity of about 5 infusions.
For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) in a 200-mL cup with water at 75°C for an infusion time of 2-3 minutes.
The tea can be filtered for greater ease at the moment of tasting, and also the infusion times indicated above are intended to be purely indicative, so you can also adjust according to your personal taste.
Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.