Tea is one of the most popular beverages worldwide. It's so popular that many people around the world cannot live a single day without at least a cup of freshly brewed tea. It’s a refreshing drink that can be full of aroma and most importantly, it is also known for its highly effective medicinal capabilities. The general idea is that tea is prepared by boiling tea leaves and usually served in a teacup. There are more than 20,000 types of tea out there, but mainly, tea can be divided into 3 categories, that are green, black, and oolong. Among these, green tea is known for having the most unique health benefits. Pi Lo Chun tea, also known as Biluochun tea, is one the most popular types of green tea in the world, specifically in China. This article is going to be all about Pi Lo Chun Tea and Its benefits where you will gain a general idea about it. You will have a historical glimpse of Pi Lo Chun tea, the health benefits of it, and the brewing instructions if you want to prepare yourself a cup of green goodness. So let's get to it.
Historical Overview of Pi Lo Chun Tea
The idea of tea, in general, might sound simple but the history of tea is rich and started its journey in China. Pi Lo Chun is also known as Bilouchun in Chinese which literally refers to “green snail springs.” It is because this tea is rolled in a way that resembles snail meat.
The History of Pi Lo Chun tea in specific can be traced back to more than 1000 years ago when the Tang Dynasty prevailed. The place of its origin is Dongting Mountain of Lake Tai, located in the Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province. At the time of the Tang Dynasty when Pi Lo Chun tea was invented, it was served to aristocrats such as emperors or kings as a tribute. Tribute tea was also known as Gong Cha.
Where Pi Lo Chun Tea is Grown
Pi Lo Chun is a specialized tea that cannot grow in any type of environment. It requires a specialized environment to grow properly. The birthplace of Pi Lo Chun tea is the Dongting mountain which is a site of historical importance. The soil of Dongting mountain is packed with minerals and mineral water resources which is an important factor being the unique flavor profile of the Pi Lo Chun tea.
Apart from the natural mineral water resources, various types of fruit and flower trees are planted in the Dongting mountain which are spread among the tea trees. The trees include plum, peach, and apricot and it is believed that Pi Lo Chun tea absorbs the flavor, fragrance, and aroma of the fruits and the taste of its brewed form gives away a strong hint.
Overall, everything about the environment of the Dongting mountains is very unique and superior which makes the Pi Lo Chun an excellent type of green tea.
You can get a wide variety of Pi Lo Chun tea from Amazon.com. The price may vary in terms of brand and quality. And the higher quality Pi Lo Chun tea would cost more. The price of Pi Lo Chun on amazon might range from $15-35 for 250/225 grams.
What Makes Pi Lo Chun Tea Great
As said before, Pi Lo Chun tea is one of the best green teas in China. Now let's get to know some of the unique features behind the greatness of Pi Lo Chun tea.
The looks of Pi Lo Chun tea are very unique. The color of Pi Lo Chun tea is shiny green with a yellow tint which is coated with silver fluffs. It is thin and curled. This tea has a distinct taste with plenty of aroma with a hint of fruity and floral taste which is reflected in the aftertaste as well.
The harvest season of Pi Lo Chun tea is quite short. The leaves are collected in the period between March to April. It is believed that Pi Lo Chun tea leaves are the most tender before the Qingming festival which is held around April 5th. So picking the leaves before the Qingming festival is the best time to pick the raw materials for Pi Lo Chun tea. Generally, high-grade Pi Lo Chun tea is made from 100% buds that are 1.6 to 2.0 cm in length, which look curled and look like the tongue of a sparrow.
Pi Lo Chun is highly rated by tea connoisseurs and experts. Some of them even entitled it as the best green tea in China. Not to mention, Pi Lo Chun was also a sign of aristocracy in the early days and served to emperors and kings.
Health benefits of Pi Lo Chun Tea
The Pi Lo Chun tea is remarkable when it comes to health benefits. Some of them might be similar to the usual health benefits of regular tea but Pi Lo Chun has its own significance. Let's get to know some of them.
Pi Lo Chun tea can awaken your central nervous system and get you excited. The reason behind it is the caffeine content which is not high enough to cause you any side effects. It can help you concentrate, awaken your senses, reduce fatigue and even increase workflow.
Pi Lo Chun tea can help you lose weight. This tea contains different acids that can cut down excess fat off your body and regulate weight gain. It also fights against high cholesterol which makes it good for your heart as well.
This tea promotes blood circulation and prevents cardiovascular diseases. It can relieve different spasms such as bronchial spasms.
Pi Lo Chun tea comes with theophylline and caffeine that has a diuretic effect that can treat water dystrophy and edema.
This tea comes with tannic acid which can effectively kill bacteria and prevent skin ulcers, intestinal diseases such as cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, and oral inflammation. It fights against sore skin and might boost immunity as well.
Prevention from aging is not possible yet. However, Pi Lo Chun tea can delay the effects of aging such as fatigue and weakness. This tea also has anti-cancer abilities which can effectively prevent cancer.
How to Identify High-Quality Pi Lo Chun Tea
If you are interested in Pi Lo Chun tea, the high-quality ones are highly recommended because you will get the best taste out of it. But for that, you need to know how to pick High-Quality Pi Lo Chun tea.
The appearance of Pi Lo Chun tea was already mentioned. The color of High-quality Pi Lo Chun tea is shiny green with a yellow tint which is coated with silver fluffs. On the other side, the color tone of lower quality Pi Lo Chun is on the darker side with fewer silver fluffs. Moreover, high-quality is much more superior than low-quality Pi Lo Chun taste-wise. High-quality Pi Lo Chun is much more flavor intensive containing strong fruity and floral notes with distinct after taste. Whereas low-quality Pi Lo Chun tastes bland and more like the regular green tea that you find in the market.
How to Prepare Pi Lo Chun Tea
Preparing Pi Lo Chun is no big deal. You can prepare it easily in your home by following some easy instructions that we are going to mention below. One thing to be noted is that the brewing instructions given below are for loose leaf Pi Lo Chun tea that you can apply in case of tea bags as well.
First, you need to preheat the glass you are going to brew Pi Lo Chun in. Fill the glass about halfway and tilt the glass so that the water touches all of the surfaces and the entire glass gets preheated. Then pour out all the water.
Fill the glass with hot water around 80-degree Celsius/176 degrees Fahrenheit. Now pour one teaspoon of Pi Lo Chun tea leaves that will immediately sink in the bottom of the glass.
Close the lid of the glass and wait for 1-2 minutes for the tea to steep. After that, the tea is ready to enjoy. Don’t steep more than that because the tea might get too strong. After having the tea with very little left, you can refill the glass and wait for 3-4 minutes to steep and enjoy. You can infuse 4-5 times with a spoon of Pi Lo Chun tea leaves.
These instructions are for roughly giving you an idea of brewing Pi Lo Chun tea. You can always experiment with the amount of Pi Lo Chun tea leaves and the time according to your taste and come up with the perfect brew for you.
Final Words
Pi Lo Chun tea is one of the most amazing green teas to exist for its uniqueness. And if you are a true tea lover and haven’t experienced the goodness of Pi Lo Chun yet, this is worth the try.
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