Longjing — Dragon Well Green Tea (龙井茶)
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province — West Lake district
China's most celebrated green tea, produced in the hills surrounding Hangzhou's West Lake. The flat, jade-green leaves are pan-fired in a bare wok (chao qing) using bare hands to halt oxidation — the wok temperature and hand pressure create the characteristic flat shape and toasty-sweet character. The highest grade, Ming Qian (before Qingming Festival, April 5), is harvested and processed within days — a matter of weeks defines the most expensive batches.
Sweet, fresh-cut grass, chestnut notes, slight marine quality; no bitterness or astringency in high-grade examples; the cleanest expression of Chinese green tea
{"Ming Qian harvest: before April 5 Qingming Festival; only the bud and one leaf; extraordinarily sweet, minimal tannin","Pan-firing technique: bare wok at 180–200°C; leaves pressed and shaped against the wok surface with hands in specific motions","Flat shape results from the pressing action during firing — not rolled or twisted like other green teas","Water temperature: 75–80°C maximum; boiling water ruins this tea within seconds"}
{"Glass teapots or cups preferred — watching the jade-green leaves unfurl vertically is part of the Longjing experience","The 'standing' phenomenon: Ming Qian Longjing leaves stand upright in the glass when properly brewed — a visual quality indicator","Longjing Shrimp dish: the first flush leaves steeped with fresh river shrimp is the most celebrated pairing in Chinese cuisine"}
{"Brewing too hot — Longjing is exceptionally sensitive; 80°C is the upper limit","Using low-grade Longjing (often from Shandong or other provinces rather than Hangzhou Si) — flavour is completely different","Over-steeping — first steep 60–90 seconds maximum; subsequent steeps slightly longer"}
Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop; Chinese tea tradition
Common Questions
Why does Longjing — Dragon Well Green Tea (龙井茶) taste the way it does?
Sweet, fresh-cut grass, chestnut notes, slight marine quality; no bitterness or astringency in high-grade examples; the cleanest expression of Chinese green tea
What are common mistakes when making Longjing — Dragon Well Green Tea (龙井茶)?
{"Brewing too hot — Longjing is exceptionally sensitive; 80°C is the upper limit","Using low-grade Longjing (often from Shandong or other provinces rather than Hangzhou Si) — flavour is completely different","Over-steeping — first steep 60–90 seconds maximum; subsequent steeps slightly longer"}
What dishes are similar to Longjing — Dragon Well Green Tea (龙井茶)?
Japanese gyokuro (both high-grade shade-grown/carefully processed green teas), French Champagne (prestige product defined by precise geographical designation), Italian Barolo DOCG (geographic protection of premium product)