West Lake Longjing – Group planting of Longjing

Description

West Lake Tea Area
The unique name of this Chinese green tea can be traced back to an ancient village called “Longjing”, located southwest of West Lake in Hangzhou. This beautiful lake is loved by Chinese and foreign tourists for its tranquil charm and symbolizes Hangzhou, China. Surrounded by pagoda-topped hills and beautiful bridges, West Lake is often considered a representation of classical Chinese beauty.

To the south of this iconic lake is one of China’s most famous tea regions, named after West Lake. This area includes five famous Longjing tea villages where local tea has been produced for over a thousand years. Our handmade Longjing tea comes directly from small family tea gardens in Meijiawu Village. The other four villages are Shifeng, Yunqi, Hupao and Longjing.

Picking period
West Lake Longjing tea is famous for its four outstanding qualities: emerald green color, aromatic taste, beautiful appearance and refreshing taste. The picking period for Longjing tea is only six short weeks starting at the end of March, and these finest leaves are processed within the first two weeks. Once the fresh tea leaves are picked in the morning, they must be dried in the shade and roasted by hand the same day. Roasters use their bare hands to accurately measure the heat and dryness of tea leaves. After roasting, the tea leaves must be cooled and sealed in bags to maintain freshness.

The taste of Longjing tea
Classic Longjing tea ranges from the rich flavors of toasted bread and nuts to the refreshing, delicate flavors of fresh beans. The teas available on this page have a nutty flavor profile, while our premium Longjing tea offers a more refreshing bean flavor.

Caffeine and health benefits
Longjing tea has about half the caffeine of typical Chinese black tea, thanks to its lower recommended brewing temperature. Due to its freshness, it is rich in antioxidants that help improve skin, provide anti-inflammatory benefits, and reduce the risk of common diseases.

How to Brew Longjing Tea
This green tea can be prepared in different ways from traditional Gongfu tea to Western-style brewing. If you want to make tea in a large teapot, it is recommended to steep 3 grams of tea leaves in 500 ml of 80oC (175°F) water for 1 minute. The same tea can be brewed at least once more. For the second brewing, you can refer to the soaking time of 1.5 to 2 minutes.

If you use the Gongfu tea method, you can use 5 grams of tea leaves in 100 ml of hot water for up to 20 seconds, and gradually increase the soaking time each time. All use 80oC (175°F) tea brewing temperature.

cold brew green tea
Did you know? We can also cold brew green tea. We used our Longjing tea cold brew and it turned out great. There is no bitterness and all the natural sweetness is extracted. Watch the video below to see how to easily make your own cold brew tea: