Green teas are manufactured in different leaf shapes; flat (Long Jing), large and open (Lu'an Gua Pian), straight and slender (Anji Bai Cha) as well as crimped into a curly shape like the teas we are going to taste today.

Biluochun and Ganlu have more than just the shape in common. They are both ancient teas produced with tiny, downy buds. The original Biluochun comes from the Dongting Mountain near the gorgeous Taihu lake, in the Jiangsu province. 2000 km to the west, not far from Tibet, similar fuzzy buds are used in the production of Ganlu.

The curly, almost spiral, shape is obtained either by hand or with the help of machine. The two Biluochun teas that we are going to drink today are artisanal teas fired by hand in the wok. Under the heat the leaves loose water and shrink, while wise hands give them the known twisted, curly shape.

Ganlu was produced in a small factory, using a swinging machine. The leaves are laid into narrow, curved cavities. The sidewards movement makes the leaves springing back and forth within the heated cavities.