Product Overview
Type: Green
Packaging: Bag
Origin: China
Description: The Xihu Longjing, also known as the West Lake Dragon Well, is without a single doubt the most popular green tea in China. Our journey has brought us all the way to source: Meijiawu, one of the official longjing villages in the West Lake region. We proudly present you our delicate longjing tea that produces a light brew with a soft and sweet flavor that lasts. Consisting only out of one bud one leaf and one bud two leaf pickings. What is more, it has been scented with jasmine flavor, a rare find.
Right after picking, the leaves are dried in the shadow. This drying process reduces the bitter taste of the leaves. While for most other types of tea a process of rolling/rubbing follows to shape the tea, this isn't the case for longjing. The farmer instead keeps the natural shape in tact by leaving out this processing step. Another way to see this is that the shaping step, in fact, is integrated in the frying phase that follows. This step consist of 10 different manual hand movements that eventually shape the leaves into their flat form.
Tea leaves are harvested in the early spring and stored until the late summer when fresh jasmine flowers are in bloom. Jasmine flowers are picked early in the day when the small petals are tightly closed. The flowers are kept cool until nightfall. During the night, jasmine flowers open, releasing their fragrance. This is when the tea scenting takes place. There are two main methods used to scent the tea with the jasmine. In one method the tea and flowers are placed in alternating layers; in the other, the tea is blended with jasmine flowers and stored overnight. It takes over four hours for the tea to absorb the fragrance and flavor of the jasmine blossoms. The scenting process may be repeated as many as six or seven times for top grade. The tea absorbs moisture from the fresh Jasmine flowers so it must be dried again to prevent spoilage.
This is an authentic Chinese West Lake Dragonwell and considered to be one of the world's finest green teas. Its narrow and flat leaves produce a soothing aroma when brewed. Lung Ching tastes delicate and rich, and has a slight hint of chestnut flavor as well as jasmine flavor. The leaves are picked and hand processed in early spring when the mountains are still shrouded in mist. They have a thin, delicate appearance with a golden sheen and give a pale green infusion that's lightly sweet, tremendously fragrant and smooth in texture.
Brewing Guide: First, boil some water and let it cool for about four or five minutes until it reaches between 75 and 80°C. This temperature is critical for perfect tasting green tea. Pour the water on one heaped teaspoon of leaves and allow it to diffuse for three or four minutes. Of course, if you're using a teapot at home, one heaped teaspoon of tea for each person is about right - plus one more for the pot and good luck.
