Bi Luo Chun, "Green Snail Spring"

This is one of China's rare green teas of exceptional quality known all over the world. It grows on only two mountains near Wuxi. One mountain forms a peninsula of the lake, another an island. They are often shrouded in mist, thus the leaves are especially moist and tender. Peach, apricot and plum trees are planted among the bushes. When these fruit trees bloom, the tender sprouts and buds of tea absorb the aromas to be passed on to those who drink their infusion. This rare tea is made only once a year from the tenderest shoots of the first spring flush, and the Chinese have developed special manufacturing equipment to process it. Plucking takes only the bud and a single leaf half unfurled, called the "sparrow's tongue." The leaf is full of fine white hairs. A mere pound of it contains sixty to seventy thousand leaf-bud sets. Processing is done by hand and takes great skill. The leaf is tiny and comes out spiral shaped; the brew is clear and golden and of exceeding delicacy. Steep with water temperature well below boiling, infusing one to three minutes.