Long Jing龙井
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
Long Jing is a green tea from Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. Brew it at 80°C with 4g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 5 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.
Quick facts
- Origin
- Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Category
- Green tea
- Cultivar
- Longjing #43 (most common), Qunti (heirloom)
- Oxidation
- none
- Roast
- light
- Water temp
- 80°C
- Leaf ratio
- 4g / 100ml
- Infusions
- up to 5
- Rinse
- No
Tasting notes
Flat green blades, toasted chestnut in the nose before the water even cools — Long Jing is familiar before you drink it, which is part of why it's so easy to get wrong. The trap is heat. Eighty degrees is not a suggestion; at eighty-five the pan-fired wheat-bread sweetness turns grassy and scratchy, and once it's there you cannot brew it back out. Done properly the cup is clean and slightly buttery, with a chestnut-and-pumpkin-seed core and a huigan that keeps returning to the back of the throat between sips. Higher grades carry more of that returning sweetness and less of the roast; cheaper grades lean toasty and forgiving. First steep can run a little longer — the flat leaves need a moment to let go. After that, short and fast. Don't rinse; the first infusion is where most of the character lives. Four strong steeps is typical, a fifth if you're paying attention.
Flavor profile
China's most famous green tea and a benchmark for the flat-pressed style. The flat, jade-green leaves brew a clear yellow-green liquor with a toasted chestnut aroma. The taste is clean and smooth with a sweet, nutty core, gentle vegetal notes, and a long huigan (returning sweetness). Higher-grade spring harvests show more complexity and sweetness; lower grades lean nuttier and more roasty. A masterclass in restrained elegance.
Terroir
West Lake (Xi Hu) area, ~200-500m, subtropical with abundant rainfall. The most prized sub-origins are Shi Feng (Lion Peak), Mei Jia Wu, and Long Wu.
Cultivar: Longjing #43 (most common), Qunti (heirloom)
Brewing
- Steep 1: 25 seconds
- Steep 2: 20 seconds
- Steep 3: 20 seconds
- Steep 4: 30 seconds
- Steep 5: 45 seconds
The first steep can be slightly longer to let flat-pressed leaves open. Do not rinse — the first infusion carries the most aromatic compounds. Glass gaiwan or tall glass both work well.
Aroma & taste
Aroma
- chestnut
- toasted grain
- orchid
Taste
- nutty
- sweet
- smooth
- huigan
Processing
- pan-fired
- hand-pressed flat in wok
Sources
- https://verdanttea.com/how-to-brew-shi-feng-dragonwell-green-tea
- https://yunnansourcing.com/products/imperial-dragon-well-tea-from-hangzhou-long-jing-tea
- https://pathofcha.com/products/long-jing-dragon-well-green-tea
- https://sevencups.com/shop/da-fo-long-jing-big-buddha-dragon-well/
- https://verdanttea.com/a-buyers-guide-to-dragonwell-how-to-choose-longjing-green-tea-harvest-location-varietal