All About China

Bi Luo Chun is a famous green tea originally grown in the Dong Ting mountain of Tai Hu, Jiangsu Province, China. Also known as Pi Lo Chun, it is renowned for its delicate appearance, fruity taste, floral aroma, showy white hairs and early cropping.
Bi Luo Chun literally means "Green Conch Spring".
It is called so because it is a green tea that is rolled into a tight spiral, resembling conch meat, and is cropped early spring.
Its original name is scarily fragrant. Legend tells of its discovery by a tea picker who ran out of space in her basket, and put the tea between her breasts instead. The tea, warmed by her body heat, emitted a strong aroma that surprised the girl. Since then, the tea were picked by women who washed before picking the tea and placed all the tea between their breasts.
According to the Qing Dynasty chronicle Ye Shi Da Guan, Emperor Kangxi visited TaiHu in the 38th year of his rule. At that time, because of its rich aroma, local people called it Xia Sha Ren Xiang or Scary Fragrance.
Kangxi decided to give it a more civilised name - Bi Luo Chun.
Chinese tea experts regard it very highly. Zhen Jun (1857 to 1918 A.D.), author of tea encyclopedia Cha Shuo, ranked it first among Chinese green tea. Longjing tea came second, Liu An Gua Pian came third.
It is so delicate and tender that one kilogram of Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun has 14,000 to 15,000 tea shoots.
Today, Bi Lo Chun is cultivated in Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province and Sichuan Province. The most esteemd Bi Luo Chun is still to be found in the Dong Ting Mountain.

Xin Yang Mao Jian is considered one of the ten best Chinese teas with over 2 thousand years of history. Mao Jian literally means "hairy tips" referring to the appearance of the tea leaves. The brewed tea is pale-gold in colour and has a grassy fragrance with a sweet, long lasting aftertaste.

Longjing tea is a famous variety of green tea from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China where it is produced mostly by hand and has been renowned for its high quality, earning the China Famous Tea title. Longjing is divided into seven grades: Superior, Special, and then 1 down to 5.

Like most other Chinese green tea, Longjing tea leaves are pan fried to stop the fermentation process. In the world of tea, the term "fermentation" refers to the drying of the freshly picked leaves, resulting in enzymatic oxidation. This oxidation is stopped by frying or steaming the leaves before they completely dry out. As is the case with other green teas, Longjing tea leaves are unfermented. When steeped, the tea produces a yellow-green color, a gentle, pure aroma, and a rich flavor. The tea contains Vitamin C, amino acids, and the highest concentration of catechins among teas.

The name of this tea literally means "dragon well", a well that contains relatively dense water, and after rain the lighter rainwater floating on its surface sometimes exhibits a sinuous and twisting boundary with the well water, which is supposed to resemble the movement of a traditional Chinese dragon.

It was widely known that to achieve the best taste from Longjing, spring water from the "Hu Pao Quan" was to be used. Water is boiled then cooled to about 80 degrees celsius before being used to brew the tea leaves.

Green tea is a "true" tea, meaning it is made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis, that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East. Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown that can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time. Over the last few decades green tea has begun to be subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer.

China's Famous Teas or The Ten Great Chinese Teas refers to a finite list of types of Chinese tea. Though different sources will cite slightly different teas, this is a list from Chinese Tea Culture Research Centre of the 10 famous teas.
Yunnan Puerh, one of China's oldest teas known for its unique ageing properties and health benefits.
Xi Hu Longjing, a Green tea from Zhejiang Province.
Dong Ting Bi Luo Chun, a Green tea from Jiangsu Province.
Huang Shan Mao Feng tea, a Green tea from Anhui Province.
Tai Ping Hou Kui tea, a Green tea from Anhui Province.
Lu An Guapian, a Green tea from Anhui Province.
Xin Yang Mao Jian, a Green tea from Henan Province.
Keemun, a Black tea from Anhui Province.
Junshan Yinzhen, a Yellow tea from Hunan Province.
Da Hong Pao, an Oolong tea from Mount Wuyi, Fujian Province.
Tieguanyin, an Oolong tea from Fujian Province.