2024 Premium Xihu Long Jing Tea (Dragon Well Tea)

Xihu Longjing / Lungching 2024 pre-Qingming (Dragon Well Tea)

Harvest: 25.03.2024

Origin: Yuhang, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China.

Tea variety: Qun Ti Zhong (Qunti variety 群体种)

Tested as pesticide-free by Eurofin in China and Germany

2024 pre-Qingming Xihu Longjing has arrived in our store (tested in Germany and China with Eurofin test reports).

The first 3 infusions of the tea taste nutty, creamy and sweet, reminiscent of sweet corn. The first three infusions have clear umami notes. It is a rich flavor that is usually found in matcha and Japanese green tea. In this new Xihu Longjing, the umami note is not so strong, but well balanced. The tea body is medium thick and very silky.

Manufacturing

Green Longjing tea is one of the best and most famous green tea in China . It is picked by hand and is of exceptionally high quality.

Like all traditional Chinese teas, this tea is made from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis The great variety is due to the different processing methods and degrees of oxidation (fermentation).

Green tea undergoes very little fermentation. What is special about this tea is that it is hand-roasted after picking. This prevents the natural fermentation process and preserves the freshness and perfection of the tea leaves.

The color of the tea ranges from yellow-green to green. The tea is rich in vitamin C and amino acids and has a very high concentration of catechins.

High-quality Longjing tea is usually relatively expensive. However, there are many different quality grades.

The highest quality is characterized by perfect, whole and flat leaves with rounded ends. Light green leaves, a pleasant smell, a slightly bitter taste and a hint of sweetness are further identifying features of high-quality Longjing tea.

Lower quality teas can be identified by the presence of many broken or even crumbled leaves. The tea appears dark green after brewing and is less fresh.

preparation

To prepare the perfect cup of Longjing, the water should have a temperature of around 80˚C. Boiling water would prevent all the flavors from dissolving. The taste would not be nearly as intense.

• Then it depends on whether you in the traditional way or in a European way (Western style) Traditionally, about 5-6 g of tea is used for a small pot of tea (approx. 150 - 200 ml). For a gaiwan, about half that amount is used. According to western preparation, that seems far too much.
• Then pour the hot water over the tea. This first infusion is just to warm up the cup and clean the tea a little. Pour away the first infusion.
• Now pour the water again. For the second infusion, we recommend a brewing time of approx. 20-30 seconds.
  If you are not familiar with the traditional preparation, this may seem very short. However, the amount of tea used makes the taste intense.
• Once the time has elapsed, pour the tea (the water) completely into a cup. Now enjoy your second infusion.
• For the 3rd infusion, fill your pot (or gaiwan) with hot water again. This time increase the brewing time to about 1 minute
• You can repeat this process up to 5 times. Each time you increase the brewing time a little.

I don't think I need to describe the western preparation in such detail. You pour hot water over a few grams of tea (approx. 4-5 g) in a medium-sized teapot and wait 2-3 minutes. You can also enjoy Longjing tea this way. In comparison, the aroma is much more intense and richer with the traditional preparation. However, it also requires much more time and attention.

If you have a little more time, you should really try the traditional tea preparation!

A good Longjing tea can be brewed 5 times . The taste becomes a little weaker each time. However, different nuances can be tasted with each brew. Try to pay attention to this.

A suitable and traditional teapot for tea is a Gaiwan made of porcelain.