Well, I have researched very long for resolving the mystery about this tea as it did not come with a lot of information. I knew that it was a green tea from Fujian province. Shape-wise I thought it was close to Bi Luo Chun but when I compared the characteristics of this tea with Fujian Bi Luo Chun I though it cannot be because the number of fuzzes on the leaves was limited. Then I looked into other green teas like Ziyang Maojian but they are normally made in other provinces, so I dropped these too.
I was about to give up and not to write about this tea, then I found information about different grades of Bi Luo Chun and that was it. Chao Qing literally means ‘Stir-Fried’ and corresponds to Grade 4 of Bi Luo Chun.
Bi Luo Chun originated from Jiangsu Province however, nowadays it is also cultivated in other provinces like Sichuan, Jiangxi and Fujian. Apparently, to process 1 kg of supreme (top grade) Bi Luo Chin, around 60,000 buds are needed.
This tea was a decent green tea with limited vegetal flavours and nice fragrance. The infused leaves were mostly intact. Good value for money for a green tea drinker.
Tea Profile:
Type: Green
Origin: Fujian
Harvest time: 2019
Leave colour: Dark green with lighter edges
Liquor colour: Clear and bright yellow
Tea aroma: Vegetal
Tea taste: Fresh and slightly grassy
Steeping/brewing: You can use around 85-90°C water temperature (yes don’t be afraid) and brew for up to one minute in gongfu style or up to three minutes in Western-style. You can brew the leaves many times (until the taste is lost). To each infusion add additional time. Experiment for a result that suits your taste.
Shelf life: Up to 18 months (refrigerate in an air-tight container to improve the shelf-life)