Bi Luo Chun (碧螺春, Bì Luó Chūn, “Green Snail Spring”) — also written as Biluochun — is one of China’s Ten Famous Teas, a premium hand-rolled green tea produced in early spring from the Dongting Mountain area of Jiangsu Province. It is distinguished by its tight spiral shape, fine silvery-white down (毫, háo) on the leaves, and a uniquely fruity-sweet aroma produced by the traditional practice of interplanting tea bushes among peach, plum, apricot, and persimmon trees.
For the full detailed entry on this tea, see Biluochun.
Overview
Origin: Dongting Mountain, Taihu Lake region, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
Oxidation: Unoxidized (green tea)
Harvest: Early spring (Qingming, early April); highest grades from pre-Qingming (明前, míng qián)
Character: Sweet, fruity-floral with apricot/peach notes; delicate umami; clean green finish
What makes it distinctive:
The traditional Dongting Mountain production interplants tea bushes among peach, plum, apricot, and persimmon trees — a multi-century-old practice that some believe contributes a subtle fruity quality to the tea through co-absorption of aromatic compounds in the soil and air. Whether the fruity aroma is primarily genetic, environmental, or processing-derived is debated, but Dongting Bi Luo Chun is consistently more fruity-floral than any replicated version grown elsewhere.
The extremely delicate, tightly rolled spirals are hand-made: freshly plucked leaves are wok-killed (炒青, chǎo qīng), then hand-rolled in the warm wok until the spiral form hold, then lightly dried. Good Bi Luo Chun uses only the finest new-spring bud-and-one-leaf plucks.
Spelling Variants
- Biluochun — modern Hanyu Pinyin (no spaces)
- Bi Luo Chun — Pinyin with spaces
- Pi Lo Chun — older Wade-Giles romanization
- Green Snail Spring — English translation
- 碧螺春 — Chinese characters
All refer to the same tea. Geographic-origin “Dongting Biluochun” (洞庭碧螺春) is the protected designation; imitation Bi Luo Chun produced in other provinces lacks this designation.
Brewing
| Parameter | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | 70–80°C (delicate; never boiling) |
| Leaf-to-water ratio | 3–4g per 200ml (Western) |
| Steeping time | 1.5–2 minutes (Western); 20–30 sec (gongfu) |
| Vessel | Glass or porcelain; glass allows visual appreciation of leaf unfurling |
| Method note | Top-water method (上投法): add leaf first, then pour water from height — generates leaf movement and uniform extraction |
See Biluochun for comprehensive tasting notes, history, and cultivar details.