Biluochun "Silver Mist"

东山碧螺春

Harvest
April 8, 2026

Origin
Lake Tai, Suzhou

Biluochun is one of the most coveted and ethereal traditional teas we are aware of. Authentic Biluochun must come from Lake Tai of Suzhou, a picturesque city laced with canals and ancient imperial gardens close to Shanghai. Because of this tea's notoriety, other green tea regions will produce a "Biluochun," but it won't be considered authentic unless it comes specifically from Dongting Mountain, east or west of Lake Tai.

This is not arbitrary traditional nomenclature. Biluochun is especially expressive of its terroir, and the terroir on Dongting is very unique. The valley is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and the tea trees are interplanted amongst a variety of fruit trees. Only the Biluochun trees here, which grow scattered throughout orchards, will produce the floral-fruit aromatics this tea is famous for.

These heirloom, small-leaf varietal Biluochun trees are roughly 35 years old and grow with minimal intervention, apart from some grass clearing and tidying. They are nestled between rows of loquat trees on the stone slopes of the mountain.

The preciousness of Biluochun begins with the picking, and the picking standard. As soon as the tea trees sprout several elderly tea pickers will visit them. They venture out very early in the morning to pluck the single buds or just-unfurling one-bud-one-leaf sets by hand. By noon, when they stop picking, they will have harvested less than 1000 grams. Then these tender leaves undergo an afternoon of hand sorting, keeping only 0.6-0.7 inches standard buds and leaves, which tends to be roughly one-third of what was picked that morning.

The tea is crafted by the Shi Family, who are native to Dongting, and who have been making Biluochun for 3 generations. The first generation of the Shi family, Master Shi Nianxiong, was awarded the title of "Tea Roasting Master" for the region and the family has upheld this legacy. They use several different kinds of local charcoal to roast this tea, including bamboo, redwood, and fruit wood. The kill-green and frying are done in a single iron wok, then the tea leaves are hand rolled with a variety of techniques for about 30 minutes. Afterwards the tea is placed on white paper to cool, then slowly roasted over charcoal fire. Finally, it is rested in an ash jar to remove any remaining astringency.

In a warm gaiwan the tiny leaves smell as soft and downy as it looks. After one infusion they look like a patch of lichen, having turned a glowing, limey green. They brew a crystal clear, opalescent liquor that looks dense and shimmery. This tea is not understood by many, as its impact is not made by flavour as much as it is through structure and wavelength.

The tea liquor is smooth, its body is strong, and its fragrance lingers at the bottom of the cup. This is what a cup of fine traditional Biluochun should be like. Biluochan is known for having a "spine" because it has unusually strong architecture for such a delicate green tea. But as quickly as this structure appears, it vanishes, making it easy to miss. For this reason Biluochan is aligned with fleeting transitional seasons, and behaves much like the mist it is named for. It's impressively elusive for how undeniably present it is.

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Brewing guide