This delicious green tea is one of the best verities you can discover from the Kingdom of green tea; China. Long Jing tea is also known as “Dragon well tea” and remarkably the production of these teas are confined to a specific area of the country, namely Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. The specialty of the tea comes not only with its wonderful flavor but also with the unique flat & glossy leaf appearance. This premium green tea has a history dating back to thousands of years and here we are going to unveil all this information step by step.
If you are new to the world of Long Jing tea, the first fact to know that the authentic Long Jing teas come all the way from West Lake area in the Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. Of course, there are other areas in the Zhejiang Province that produce this royal delicacy, but those are not considered as the authentic Long Jing tea. In general, this area is a mystic mountainous area with ample amount of rains to produce flourishing green tea leaves. It is said that the misty, foggy and rainy climate pattern in the area is highly accountable for the mellow and fruity flavor profile of the Long Jing tea.
Tea leaves are harvested during early spring to produce this subtle delicacy and the processing steps are simply as follows.
According to history, the preparation of Long Jing tea has been there in China for more than 1500 years. However, the peak era of popularity was during the "Qing Dynasty" where the emperor was served with this tea during a visit to Hu Gong Temple under the Lion Peak Mountain. It is said that the emperor was very impressed with the delicate taste, fragrance and the stylish appearance of the tea. Later he has served some of these teas to his sick mother and the legend says she was fully recovered by this miraculous brew. Since then the Long Jing tea and the original tea trees have been granted royal attention.
The superiority of this authentic tea is derived from its area of cultivation and manufacturing. Here are few most common grades of Long Jing tea from the area of origin as well as the other areas of China.
As the legendary story of “Qing Dynasty” proves, this magical tea comes with loads of health benefits. During manufacturing, the tea undergoes minimal oxidation process, thus contains most of the vitamins, amino acids as well as the popular antioxidant, "Catechins”
The brewing of Long Jing tea needs to be done with extra care and attention as the tea is very delicate by nature. In order to discover the authentic flavor of this tea, it is recommended to use the traditional clay teapots for brewing. The recommended brewing parameters are to use one teaspoon of tea per cup, steep for 1-3 minutes, keeping the water temperature at 70-75 °C.
Here is our briefing on Long Jing tea from its origin to the cup. It is not an ordinary tea from China, but a royal delicacy passed from generation to generation as a precious gift!
Sources:
Consumption of tea dates back to five millennia ago and people of all ages and backgrounds have been enjoying it since. As a matter of fact, tea is second to coffee when it comes to popularity. Discovered in China, this beverage has become part of our modern civilization.
Sometimes it is taken on the go or other times it is prepared in special ways particularly in ceremonies. Many types of teas exist today with each boasting of rich history. That being said, let's look at the most interesting facts about this beverage.
Russian Caravan tea is a perfect tea choice for tea lovers and people working to shed some weight. Most people describe it as a full-bodied and aromatic tea with a very sweet malty taste. It is a blend of Keemun, oolong, and lapsang souchong teas, which come from the Camellia sinensis, a Chinese tea plant. Perhaps, you already know that Chinese tea produce is an excellent choice. The Russian Caravan tea came into being in the 1600s when camel caravans transported tea from China to Russia. The name arose from the transportation.