Biluo Shelled Shrimps

Biluo Shelled Shrimps is a famous traditional dish of Suzhou. It is named after Bi Luo Chun tea, arguably the finest green tea in all of China, which comes from Suzhou. This dish is prepared using the tea to flavor the shrimp, allowing for a unique taste.

Biluo refers to Biluochun Tea produced in the east & west hills of Dongting Lake . Seasoned with fresh Biluochun tea, the famous dish is made with shelled shrimps. Thus it possesses not only the freshness of shrimps but the fragrance of the famous tea. If embellished with tea leaves around the dish, it would be a wonderful combination of color, smell and taste, exhibiting a typical characteristic of Suzhou cuisines.

Recipe: Biluo Shelled Shrimps

Ingredients for Biluo Shelled Shrimps:

* 960g live large river shrimps
* 1g new Bi Luo Chun tea
* 1 chicken egg white

Seasonings for Biluo Shelled Shrimps:

* 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
* A dash of salt and MSG
* 40g thick starch solution

Directions to cook Biluo Shelled Shrimps:

Step 1. Shell the shrimps, squeeze their meat out, wash it clean, place it in a bowl, mix it well with salt and chicken egg white, place thick starch solution and MSG in to mix well and marinate them for one hour.

Step 2. Make the Longjing tea with 40g of boiling water, lay it still for one minute, drain 80 percent of the tea out and left the remaining tea and sauce for use.

Step 3. Heating the pot, pour oil in, spread it evenly, pour it out, pour oil in again, boil it until 40 percent hot, scald the shelled shrimps in it for 15 seconds, take them out, drain oil away, leave a little oil in the pot, dump the shelled shrimps in, quickly pour the tea leaves and sauce of (2) in, sprinkle wine in, stir fry them over medium heat for a while and serve them in a plate.

If embellished with tea leaves around the dish, it would be a wonderful combination of color, smell and taste, exhibiting a typical characteristic of Suzhou cuisines.