When it comes to Chinese green tea, the first name that comes to mind is Longjjing (also known as Long Jing or Dragon Well or Lung Ching), partly because it is one of my favorite teas. Not only that. It is a very ancient and famous tea (the best known in China unlike what is believed in the West!) that I am sure will fascinate you as it has fascinated me…
Longjjing, history and legends
This Chinese green tea is even mentioned in Lu Yu’s The Tea Canon, the first essay on our favorite beverage, dating back to the 1st century AD.
Like any ancient and famous product there are various legends related to this tea. One tells of Emperor Qian Long’s journey to see plantations in the mountains of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The man, bewitched by the movement of the pickers and the charm of one of them, asked if he could join them in their work. Some shoots remained in his pockets, however….
The emperor, upon returning to Beijing, got bad news: his mother was ill. He then ran to her bedside, and the woman noticed that a wonderful scent was coming from her son’s pockets: the shoots of the tea plant. The emperor ordered them to be used immediately for an infusion for the sick mother to drink. The woman’s health improved instantly, and Qian Long decided to reserve 18 Hangzhou plants for the royal family.
Longjjing is not a miraculous tea, but it is certain that plantations in the Hangzhou capital area dated back to the 8th century and that Emperor Qian Long (1711 – 1799) decided that some should produce tea exclusively for his court, thus increasing the fame and value of these leaves, characteristics that distinguish this tea even today. Xi Hu Long Jing, produced in the hills around Xi Hu Lake, is in fact protected by Chinese laws and the Pgi (Protected Geographic Indication) designation. The best crop of Xi Hu Long is named Shi Feng.
How to prepare it
Quantity: 3 g per cup (about 200 ml of water)
Temperature: water at 75 to 80° C. They say the best is from the tiger spring near Long Jing village.
Infusion time: 2-3 minutes
In the production region, Zhejiang, Longjjing is drunk in glass cups as seen in this video:
Otherwise, the advice is to brew this tea in a small cup or traditional Chinese gaiwan.
Long Jing: tasting
The leaves are distinctive: flattened, long, bright olive-green in color. Another characteristic element of this tea is the aroma and flavor of boiled chestnut, truly unmistakable.
Long Jing is not a tannic tea; the astringency is light and pleasant.
Food pairings and recipes
Try this tea with shellfish, intensely flavored cheeses such as brie, with rice, vegetable soups or fruit.
Long Jing is also used for a traditional Chinese recipe: green tea shrimp, a dish you’re sure to find in the beverage’s homeland, Hangzhou.
The Benefits of Longjjing
The benefits of green tea are now well known: low theine content, excellent presence of antioxidants, a good ally against arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, diabetes and sluggish metabolism.
So many studies have been done on this drink and so many are still ongoing.
On Longjing, in particular, there is research published in 2009 entitled Analysis of chemical components in green tea in relation with perceived quality, a case study with Longjing teas that you can find here.