To brew the super tender Mingqian teas, use water of lower temperature compared to normal teas - 80 C for longjing, and 70 C for biluochun, suggests Gong Xiangtao, manager of Yupin'ge Teahouse in Beijing and a professional tea brewer.

To brew longjing in a glass with the tea, fill it one-third full with hot water, 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 thirds, then full. Then the tea is ready to drink. The whole process takes about 40 seconds.

Mingqian biluochun does not need washing. 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.

Gong says using a glass container, whether big or small, can help the tea drinker to appreciate the beautiful leaves. "The 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 four or five times, before the tea becomes too bland. She suggests drinking the green teas after meals at any time of day.

yejun@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/01/2012 page3)