Author: Alena Dorozhkina , unique tea specialist,
professional tea-tester
Chinese green tea Bi Lo Chun is very popular not only among the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom, but also among connoisseurs of tea ceremonies around the world.
Characteristic features of the finished drink are the delicate fruity aroma, the spiral shape of the leaves, which is obtained thanks to the special technology of manual twisting.
In this article we will tell you all the interesting and useful information about the drink: how to collect raw materials, how to brew cups, what is the reason for the interesting name and let's analyze many other features.
History
Literally, Bi Lo Chun translates as & laquo; emerald spiral of spring & raquo;. This is due to the fact that leaves with kidneys are collected exclusively in spring & ndash; hence the bright, not always uniform color of the finished cups. And tea flushes are processed in a special way, twisting into the shape of spirals, which is reflected in the name of the tea. The exact origin of the variety has not been established, but there are many legends around it.
It is believed that in the XVII century. it was called differently & ndash; Xia Sha Ren Xiang (& laquo; murderously fragrant & raquo; or & laquo; knocking down the scent & raquo;). This name perfectly describes & ndash; thick and at the same time light floral smell with honey notes.
One day, Emperor Kang Xi came to Tai Hu Lake and tasted the drink. The ruler was struck by its exquisite fruity flavor and memorable smell. However, he considered that such a rude name as Xia Sha Ren Xiang did not fit and ordered the tea to be renamed BiLoChun (& laquo; emerald spiral of spring & raquo;).
Green tea & laquo; Bi Lo Chun & raquo; can be purchased from our online store.
Collection and production
The main place where raw materials for making a drink are grown is considered to be the small Chinese province of Dong Tin, located in the Dong Tin Shan mountains, not far from the very lake Tai Hu, which the emperor came to, near Shanghai. & nbsp;
Of course, due to its popularity, it is cultivated in other areas, but it does not have the same pronounced taste and aroma.
Experts believe that this is due to the fact that in his homeland he grows on plantations surrounded by fruit trees. Collection begins during their flowering period. Thanks to this, Bi Lo Chun Dongting absorbs fragrant floral notes.
In addition, collectors must follow these rules:
- carefully pluck the leaves with your fingers at dawn;
- exclusively tender young shoots are harvested.
According to Chinese traditions, the collection is carried out on the vernal equinox and lasts several weeks before the Qingming holiday. After it, the rainy season begins.
The tea that was picked before Qing Ming (4.04-5.04) is considered the best.
The first twigs are of particular value. They contain a single unopened leaflet and one kidney. The sheet plate should not be larger than 1.5 cm. If it is longer, it will be rejected.
There are tea varieties that are made exclusively from undiscovered buds. To get 500 g of products, they will need about 60,000 pieces. Hence the high cost.
The kidneys contain a huge amount of nutrients, so they must be added. In addition, they give special sophistication and grace to the drink.
Raw materials are sorted very carefully by hand. White leaves are rejected. Everything is selected so that after twisting the cups have the same shape and size. It will take about 4 hours to sort out 1 kg of leaves and kidneys.
Next & laquo; kill & raquo; greens. Electric woks with temperatures up to + 200 & deg; C are used. 500 g of raw materials are put inside, everything is shuffled and shaken.
In the process, they control that nothing burns out. After heating, the temperature is lowered, and the contents of the boilers are twisted to give a characteristic shape and manifestation of snow-white pile.
This step lasts 5 minutes. When the temperature regime drops to + 55 & deg; C, the cups roll, taking on a twisted appearance.
The manufacturing process is laborious. Everything is done by hand, because the raw materials are gentle, machining will simply damage it. The technology is standard.
The distinguishing characteristic is that at the very end the leaves are twisted in a special way. All cups are obtained in an identical size, with a snow-white pile, in the form of a spiral. They are not like other varieties.
A maximum of 12 hours elapses between collection and production.
The manufacturing process must be followed thoroughly.
Even if you go to the province of China where Bi Lo Chun green tea is grown, if you collect and try to make your own cups, you will not achieve the characteristic taste and aroma. Therefore, it is better to buy the product from trusted suppliers.
Taste
Leaves are harvested during flowering of plum, peach, and tangerine trees.
Therefore, fruit, caramel, floral notes are felt in the finished drink. It's light and refreshing and leaves a honey finish on the lips after tea time, paired with mountain herbs and pumpkin seeds. The Chinese compare it to the first spring freshness.
Fragrance
It's hard to say what the smell of tea is associated with. When dried, it will be versatile: grassy, honey, with fruit notes. However, many say that peaches are more prevalent.
Chemistry
In the manufacturing process, the raw material is not fermented, whereby the harvest contains antioxidants that protect the cells from free radicals. They are able to slow down aging, preserving youth and beauty. There are also many other nutrients that contribute to the proper functioning of all organs and systems.
The drink contains a significant concentration of vitamin C, fluoride, calcium, which are necessary to maintain dental and bone health.
It has a minimum amount of caffeine in its constituent components. It is about 10% of what is in a cup of coffee.
Bi Lo Chun Tea Benefits
- It can excite the central nervous system, promoting active brain activity or, conversely, relaxation.
- In China, it is used to improve blood circulation.
- In the Middle Kingdom, it is believed that it helps with ulcers on the skin, inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.
- May have diuretic effects.
- Experts believe that the drink accelerates metabolism, contributes to weight loss.
- Can improve skin, hair, nails.
- In China, it is drunk to strengthen the body.
- The Celestial Empire believes that it strengthens the heart muscle, prevents spasms.
- The composition contains fluoride, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the teeth.
- In China, it is drunk to prevent diseases of the upper respiratory tract, throat, oncology.
The drink can be consumed in the morning or in the evening. If you drink it after waking up, it is believed that it will recharge the energy for the whole day, help to concentrate. And evening use according to reviews allows you to relax.
Note that it is not a drug, a cure-all.
Possible contraindications
Tea is suspected of triggering heart rate changes. Therefore, it is not recommended to drink a large amount of the drink for pathologies of the heart, kidneys and liver, gastrointestinal tract.
Also, do not make the brew too strong for those who are prone to fainting states, have low pressure.
Tea is also contraindicated in women in delicate situations. It is not known how some of the constituent components will affect the development of the embryo. In order to avoid provoking premature birth and due to the possibility of uterine contraction due to tannins and theins, pregnant women should refrain from consuming green tea.
Also, the drink is not given to young children.
It is also recommended to refuse Bi Lo Chun for those who are highly sensitive to caffeine, despite the fact that this substance is contained in small quantities. After drinking tea, they can become aggressive and restless. Their sleep and appetite deteriorate, and their heart rate increases.
Please note that the listed contraindications apply only to beverage abuse. Experts say that in small quantities it will not do any harm.
Brewing rules
We recommend following these guidelines:
- Utensils. A transparent glass container is best. There is nothing in it to control the degree of opening of the leaves and the shade, to observe the dance of the cups.
- Quantity. For 150-200 ml of water, 2-3 g of brew will be enough. This is about 1-1.5 tsp.
How to make Bi Lo Chun tea:
- Pour boiling water into the kettle, throw leaves there. Without insisting, drain. This liquid is not drunk, it is only washed.
- Pour water again, throw leaves. To keep the maximum amount of nutrients, it should not be too hot. The optimal temperature is + 70... + 80 & deg; C. Therefore, after boiling (this happens at + 100 & deg; C), you need to wait until the liquid cools down a little. After that, pour the brew and leave it in the vessel for 15 seconds.
- The time of each subsequent infusion is increased (by 10-15 seconds), taking into account the required strength of the drink. It is important not to overexpose, otherwise a mustard will appear.
In order for Bi Lo Chun green milk tea to fully reveal its taste and aroma, you need to brew it in accordance with all the rules and very carefully. Please note that the brew is not flooded with water. On the contrary, the leaves are thrown into the liquid.
It is best to use porcelain or glass guywan for brewing. In this case, the bowl does not have to be covered with a lid & ndash; without it, you can appreciate all the subtle notes of the aroma of a tea drink, which is recommended to be consumed from a bowl or cup to prevent bitterness.
Retention Policies
Store in a ceramic or porcelain container with a tight lid. Put it in a dark and dry place, away from sunlight, heat and moisture sources.
It is important to keep in mind that the brew absorbs foreign odors, so it is not recommended to keep it next to strong-smelling products, spicy herbs.
Closed packaging can be stored in the refrigerator. After opening it, you need to rearrange it, since in the same place the cups will take in third-party aromas, they will be in high humidity, which will have a bad effect on the properties.
Compare to analogs
A feature of any Chinese tea varieties is that they do not contain any additives or flavors.
They differ in flavor and taste characteristics due to the fact that the leaves grow in different provinces, unique technologies are used in the collection of raw materials and the production of brewing.
The following varieties are popular:
- Лунцзин. Tea turns out to be a pleasant green shade that improves mood. It has a floral flavor and pronounced aroma. In the manufacture of brew, upper shoots and 2 top sheets are used. To prevent an oxidizing reaction in the raw material, it is fried in a specialized boiler.
- Taiping Hawkui (monkey leader). He received many awards and is one of the ten best teas in the world. It has a soft, sweet taste, and the aroma gives off orchids. The brew can be brewed up to 4 times, it will not lose its characteristics. It is difficult to confuse with other varieties. It has very large leaves. Produced in limited quantities in only three villages in China.
Please note! The last two varieties of Chinese green tea are more expensive than others. However, we recommend trying them at least once in your life. Just remember that you only need to buy raw materials from trusted specialty stores.
How to distinguish from counterfeit products
& laquo; Emerald Spiral of Spring & raquo; grows in Dong Tinh Province. Experts consider leaves grown in other places to be fake.
Typically, counterfeits are cultivated in Sichuan and Jejiang counties. Moreover, during production, greens and buds of various tea trees are used.
Since the products are quite expensive, there are many analogues on the market. Therefore, you need to be able to recognize them. This can be done by appearance, shade, aroma, taste and & laquo; tea bottom & raquo;.
Appearance
According to the description of the tea bowl, Y real Bi Lo Chun tea is all neat, of the same size, twisted in spirals. Counterfeits have different shapes, lengths, and widths.
It is important to remember that 500 g of goods will require a lot of raw materials to produce. Therefore, products are not produced on a very large industrial scale.
Color and shine
If you look closely at the dried cups, you will notice that there are many yellowish, damaged elements in the fake.
This does not happen in the original product, it is a pleasant greenish tone with a azure tint, which is not in other varieties.
White lint must also be present. If you shake the jar, there will be a weightless cloud of fallen villi.
When first welded, the top layer of liquid will be white, and an emerald color will appear at the bottom of the cup. When the second hot water is poured in 5-10 minutes, the shade will be completely green, but transparent, not cloudy.
Aroma and taste
Real tea smells like peach-note-dominated fruit. Falsifications have, rather, a spicy smell. If the drink is of high quality, after drinking it for a long time a sweet aftertaste remains at the tip of the tongue, a feeling of freshness. The fake tastes bitter and astringent.
Bottom of Cup
The bottom has a nice green tone. There should be no impurities or clots.
Let's summarize
Bi Lo Chun tea not only has an unforgettable taste and aroma, but is also useful for the human body, as it has many nutrients in its constituent components, which are often deficient.
Brewing it is simple enough, you do not need to arrange a long ritual that drags on for several hours.
Because of its popularity and high cost, counterfeits are often offered instead of a real product. Of course, distinguishing them from the original is not so difficult. However, in order not to risk it again, it is best to purchase the drink at specialized outlets by weight.
For example, in the online store & laquo; Russian Tea Company & raquo;.
It's not worth trying to save money on retail purchases. It is important to understand that Bi Lo Chun tea production & ndash; a complex and time-consuming process in which everything is done by hand. Therefore, the product cannot be cheap. This indicates that you are offered a fake that cannot even partially convey real taste and aroma.