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Panda Tips
Sichuan Province, China Pan-fired Bi Lo Chun - style Thirst-quenching, robust
flavor Fresh, clean, ‘tea’
aroma Clear pale green liquor
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On our most recent trip to
Sichuan Province, we had the opportunity to visit a
small tea factory just as they were starting to
manufacture their Bi Lo Chun-style tea. It was
fascinating to watch the skilled artisans work the
tea, squeezing and tossing the tea, using time-honored
and well-practiced hand movements. We were even
allowed to try our own hand at it, so that we would
learn quickly just how difficult it is to create this
uniquely-formed tea.
Bob’s came out pretty well, but
Eliot’s was more picture-perfect. They tasted the same
though, as they were from the same batch of harvested
tea. This style of tea manufacture is very difficult
to master, and after our short experience trying our
hand at it, we yield to their expertise.
The Bi Lo Chun style of tea manufacture has its roots
in Jiangsu Province, north of Shanghai, where it is
known by its pictorial name of Green Snail Spring. As
a style of tea; however, Bi Lo Chun is highly prized
in many parts of China. When we are sourcing tea, no
matter which Province we are in, one of the teas that
we are always presented to taste
is that Province’s
version of a Bi Lo Chun-style tea. Bi Lo Chun is one
of the ‘known’ styles of Chinese Green tea, as Sencha
is a style of Japanese Green tea, so they may
theoretically come from anywhere, as long as the
manufacture is correct. Sometimes the price is lower
or the supply more reliable, as authentic Green Snail
Spring from Jiangsu tends to be of limited supply and
is expensive.
We only sell Bi Lo Chun as authentic Green Snail
Spring when it is truly sourced from Jiangsu Province.
So, when we discover during our tastings that one or
another of these ‘alternative’ Bi Lo Chuns is a truly
wonderful tea, we love to sell it as what it really
is, because we think that is OK to be great in one’s
own right!
This is the story of the Panda Tips: it is a fantastic
tea in its own right, and it is in the Bi Lo Chun
style, but it is not Green Snail Spring. We offer
Panda Tips to you as such for your enjoyment.
There are characteristics that are common to well-made
Bi Lo Chuns. They should be grassy and robust, with a
pungent, but not over-powering taste. Bi Lo Chuns
often do not have much aromatic quality in the dry
leaf form;
this is due to the fact that the process of
creating the twisted shape traps the aromatics within
the leaf, yielding it
only in the brewed tea.
Another tea in this style
is the Crouching Tiger Tips, which is even more
elegant than the Panda Tips.
Try some of that tea also if you like tea in the Bi Lo
Chun style
Steep 2-3 infusions at 2 minutes
each.
Water temperature should be 170˚ - 180˚ F |
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