Longjing vs Biluochun: Which Green Tea to Choose

Longjing ("Dragon Well") and Biluochun ("Green Snail Spring") are China's two most decorated green teas, both from the lower Yangtze region. The first is flat, nutty, hand-fired in a wok; the second is tender downy spirals with a fruity-floral freshness.

Aspect	Long Jing	Bi Luo Chun
Origin	Hangzhou, the villages around West Lake, Zhejiang province. The legendary plots are Shifeng ("Lion Peak") and Meijiawu; imperial-tea status since the Qing dynasty.	The Dongting hills by Lake Tai near Suzhou, Jiangsu province. The bushes traditionally grow among plum, peach, and apricot trees.
Processing and leaf	The leaf is fired and simultaneously pressed by hand against the wall of a scorching wok — hence the signature flat, smooth "sparrow's tongue" shape in yellowish green.	A bud with its first leaf is rolled into tiny spirals thickly covered in white down. One of the smallest and most labor-intensive teas: a kilogram takes up to 60–70 thousand buds.
Taste and aroma	Roasted chestnuts, fresh beans, creaminess, light sweetness, and the characteristic "toasty" wok note. The taste is even, dense for a green tea, with a clean dry finish.	Peach, apricot, flowers, fresh greenery, and a marked bud sweetness. Finer and more aromatic than Longjing, but fussier too: a slight haze in the liquor from the down is normal.
Brewing	3 g per 150 ml, water at 80–85°C, a glass or gaiwan. It handles temperature more confidently than most greens and forgives small mistakes.	3 g per 150 ml, water at 75–80°C. The classic is the "top-pour" method: water first, then the leaf, which sinks beautifully. Boiling water kills it instantly.
Season and price	Peak value is mingqian, the harvest before the Qingming festival (early April). Genuine West Lake Longjing is expensive and scarce; the market is full of tea from neighboring areas sold under its name.	The same mingqian logic and the same problems: authentic Dongting Biluochun is rare, and the spiral shape is copied all over China, as far away as Yunnan.
Effect	The classic fresh lift of green tea: clears the head, goes well in the morning and early afternoon. In wuxing terms — pure wood, spring's upward movement.	A similar effect, but softer and more "airy" — the bud-rich material, high in theanine, tells. A tea for a slow, contemplative morning.
Who it suits	Those who love dense, nutty, "hearty" flavors and want one reliable green tea for every day.	Those who prize fine aromatics and delicacy, and are ready for careful brewing and the hunt for a fresh spring harvest.

Verdict

Longjing is the choice of reliability: dense, recognizable, resistant to brewing mistakes. Biluochun is the choice of nuance: more aromatic and tender, but demanding cooler water and care. For a first acquaintance with Chinese greens it makes sense to start with Longjing, and save Biluochun for spring — a fresh mingqian will show why it is counted among the greats.

Tea comparisons