Newly picked Bi Luo Chun tea leaves will enter the market this week in Suzhou. What is Bi Luo Chun? What makes it different? Where to find authentic Bi Luo Chun in Suzhou? Hold on and keep reading!
Q: What is Bi Luo Chun?
A: As one of China’s famous tea brands, Bi Luo Chun is a kind of green tea exclusively grown in Dongtingshan area, Suzhou. It has light taste and delicate aroma. The Bi Luo Chun tea leaves picked before the Tomb Sweeping Day, which falls on April 4 in 2021, are of the highest grade.
“Bi” (碧, green) refers to the color of the tea leaves; “Luo” (螺, snail) depicts how the tea leaves are rolled, just like snail meat; “Chun” (春, spring) represents the best time to taste the tea.
Q: When will Bi Luo Chun be available on the market this year?
A: The picking time for Bi Luo Chun this year is expected to be around March 10 (Wednesday). A small amount of Bi Luo Chun will come onto the market starting the day and the tea will come out in larger amounts after March 16 (Tuesday).
Q: How is Bi Luo Chun’s output this year?
A: The output of tea leaves depends largely on weather conditions. There has been abundant rainfall and sunlight since the beginning of spring, so this year’s picking time is a bit earlier than previous years. Besides, the output will increase by roughly 10 percent over last year and the quality will be higher as well.
Q: What’s the price for Bi Luo Chun in 2021?
A: The demand for Dongtingshan Bi Luo Chun has been above its supply for a long time. This year the price for Bi Luo Chun will go up amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The super-class (of the highest quality) Bi Luo Chun tea leaves are estimated to be priced at over RMB6800 yuan/500 grams.
Q: How to tell real Dongtingshan Bi Luo Chun from fake ones?
A: The special label “Geographical Indication of P. R. China” (GI) will help you.
Tips:
The water used to make a fresh brew shouldn’t be too hot, and boiled water at 75℃ to 80℃ is preferable. You can add water of increasingly higher temperatures to make follow-up brews.
