Brewing Mingqian tea

To brew the super tender  Mingqian teas, Gong Xiangtao, a professional tea brewer based in Beijing, suggests using water of lower temperature compared to normal teas—80 degrees Celsius for Longjing, and 70 degrees Celsius for Biluochun.

To brew Longjing, pour one third of water into a glass with the tea, shake, and pour the water out. This is to moisten the tea and wash it. Then fill the glass first with one third of water, then two third, then full. Then the tea is ready to drink. The whole process takes about 40 seconds.

To brew a cup of Biluochun, first fill the glass with water, then put in the tea. That's because the tea is too tender, and very hot water could undermine the vitamins. After that shake the glass slightly, and drink after 20 seconds. Mingqian Biluochun does not need washing.

Gong says using glass container, whether big or small, can help the tea drinker to appreciate the beautiful leaves. "Green color of the tea can help the eyes recover from fatigue after looking at computers," she says.

For Mingqian teas, the glasses can be refilled for four or five times, before the tea becomes too bland. She suggests drinking the green teas after meal, either in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening.