Dongting Biluochun is usually the second name listed on any given iteration of China’s Top 10 Famous Teas but its name often presents a bit of a problem.
Lots of people have problems pronouncing Biluochun (洞庭碧螺春). Even the English translation is a tongue twister- Green Spires Spring. If truth be told, many Chinese speakers need some time to figure out the Chinese characters as well.
That’s just the easier part of the name.
The ‘Dongting’ part is sometimes confusing- is it in Jiangsu?
Isn’t there a Lake Dongting in Hunan where Junshan Yinzhen is grown? (In fact, there is a Dongting Chun, a type of green tea from Hunan)
Speaking of lakes- sometimes it is also referred to as ‘Taihu Biluochun’ or Lake Tai. Is it a different variety? After all, locations matter.
The Origins of Biluochun
The birthplace of Biluochun is Suzhou County located in Jiangsu Province. Specifically, the best Biluochun are grown in Dongting Mountain which is located on the shores of Lake Tai or Taihu.
Lake Dongting in Hunan evidently is an altogether different location, being separated by more than 600 kilometers.
Dongting Mountain is also further divided into an eastern mountain (东山) and a western mountain (西山).
The climate is sub-tropical, coupled with ample rainfall and water supply from the neighboring Lake Tai makes it suitable for the tea plant to be grown.
What makes teas grown on Dongting Mountain unique though, are the variety of fruit trees including pipa, plum, oranges and many more. These plants engulf tea trees and the surroundings plus the cross-pollination from the bees give the tea harvested from these plants that unique and distinct fruitiness that is not found elsewhere.
A Descriptive Name
Though pronouncing the name can be a bit of a tongue twister, it is probably one of the most descriptive and informative name.
Bi (碧) is more precisely translated as ‘jade green’ which is a good description of the liquor color.
Luo (螺) is translated as spires though those dependent on machines to translate might label it as ‘snails’. This portion describes the spiral shaped dry leaves of Biluochun.
As for Chun (春) there is little dispute, it refers to spring and historically Biluochun is only harvested during the spring.
Put it all together you have a name that though is tricky to pronounce, tells you about its color, shape and harvest season.
Don’t you wish all names were so informative?
Production
Few teas are as demanding as Biluochun in terms of picking requirements.
Pickings cease by Harvest Rain (20th April) while Pre-Qing Ming harvested Biluochun are considered the best. (For more on this topic, you can read this and this)
That is just the easy part.
Production of Biluochun is completed on the same day it is harvested. In fact, each batch is completed in one sitting which is described as such:
手不离茶，茶不离锅，
揉中带炒，炒中带揉，
炒揉结合，连续操作，
起锅即成。
This can be translated as:
“The hands (of the maker) is not separated from the tea (leaves), the tea is not separated from the wok,
Amid shaping there is roasting, amid roasting there is shaping,
Shaping and roasting is intertwined, it takes place concurrently,
Once (the tea) leaves the wok, it’s completed.”
This quasi-poem illustrates the production of Biluochun which is entirely done by hand, on the wok and is completed in one session which takes approximately 40 minutes. A skilled master can produce about 250g in one session while controlling the heat of the wok which at varying stages can range from 40-180⁰C.
This is a true artisanal tea- notwithstanding the flood of fakes in the market and how that word is misused.
See our Pre-Qing Ming Dongting Biluochun in stores today
