Long Jing (Dragon Well)
Pinyin: lóng jǐng
Chinese (Mandarin): 龙井
Background
As one of only 3 green teas on the well-known "Ten Teas of China" List, Long Jing, or Dragon's well is without doubt the quintessential Chinese green tea.
Long Jing traditionally comes from the famous West Lake in the city of Hangzhou and the province of Zhejiang, only a few hours by train from the bustling commerce center, Shanghai.
Style
Long Jing is uniquely identifiable by the flat sword shape of the dry leaf, as seen above. After the tea leaf is plucked and allowed to wither for a short period of time, the leaves are dried in a hot wok by the tea master, usually with his bare hands for about 15 minutes. The leaf is pressed up against the side of the wok to get the flattened shape of the leaf.
Superior grades of Dragon well take on a glossy yellow-green color on the dry leaf, inferior grades, or other green teas being sold under the guise of Long Jing can be identified by a darker shade of green and should be avoided.
Flavor Profile
After placing the leaves into a warmed gaiwan, aromas of nuts with a slight heaviness are immediately present. After brewing in water around 180 F for somewhere around two minutes, the wet leaves emit a fragrant vegetal sweetness that hints at the taste.
The pale yellow liquor is sweet and meaty, with quite a full body for a green tea. There is also a slight vegetal taste familiar to fans of Chinese green teas. This tea is a true classic.
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