Appreciate Dragon Well Tea

Dragon Well Tea is sometimes known as "Longjing" tea or "Lung Ching" tea. It is the most famous Chinese green tea, but lesser quality versions are prevalent. Here is how to tell an authentic Dragon Well Tea from a mediocre one under the same name.

Steps

  1. Buy from a company that gives details about the exact region of origin of the tea:
    • Dragon well originated in a specific region of Zhejiang province, near Hangzhou. Much of the best Dragon Well is produced near West Lake, and the other dragon well from near Hangzhou tends to be of better quality than generic Zhejiang dragon well.
    • Tea sold as dragon well is also grown in other parts of Zhejiang province. Although it's not always possible to generalize, when the region is specified only as Zhejiang province, the quality is likely to be lower.
    • Some tea is produced in the style of dragon well in other regions, such as Taiwan, or Anhui province. When the origin is not identified, or is identified only as China, it may be an indicator that the tea is lower in quality. Even when the tea is produced with care, teas from other regions will have their own unique characteristics, different from the historic dragon well.
  2. Examine the dried tea leaves. Some criteria to look out for:
    • Smell. A good Dragon Well tea should have a strong, nutty aroma. It should not smell burnt or weak.
    • Look and feel. The tea shoots should be complete and unbroken. A tea shoot should be brittle, so that when you rub it with your fingers it turns into powders. The tea shoots are pointed and sharp. They should be smooth and glossy, not dim.
    • Color. Depend on the varieties. High grade Lion Peak Longjing is yellowish green rather green. Mei Jia Wu Longjing tea is jade green.
  3. Understand the brewing process. You should be looking for:
    • Smell. Strong and nutty.
    • Taste. Savory. Reminiscent of MSG, a food taste enhancer. Long and sweet aftertaste, not grassy or bitter.
    • Look. Tea liquor should be yellowish or pale green, not brownish or dim. Tea leaves should dance and stand on ends before settling down.
  4. Know what to look for after brewing is complete:
    • Tea leaves should be complete and unbroken. A standard pick is one bud/one leaf or one bud/two leaves, but never single buds. The smaller the bud, the better. The bud should be longer or equal in length to the adjacent leaves. The tenderer the tea shoots, the higher the grade. The tea should look bright rather than dim.

Related Articles

References

You may like

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Appreciate_Dragon_Well_Tea&oldid=302852"