Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: flat, sage green
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 165 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: very pale gold
Long Jing, otherwise known as Dragonwell, is one of my favorite green teas. The quality of this type of tea can vary widely and fakes abound in the marketplace. Dragonwell is simply not Dragonwell if it does not come from Xi Hu. This tea is in fact an authentic Long Jing and it was very fresh, even though it was from last year’s crop. The taste was sweetly vegetal with nutty notes and a lingering finish. The mouth-feel was slightly thick and there was just a tough of astrigency. I did at least five infusions in a gaiwan and all of them were equally flavorful. I love Norbu Tea’s candid and helpful steeping recommendations. I didn’t have a high ball glass on hand to drink the tea “grandpa style” as they suggested but it seemed to work just as well with a standard rocks glass. It is always fun to watch the leaves dance in the water as I wait for them to sink to the bottom.
You can find out more about this tea here.