Long Jing
Long Jing
Long Jing
China

Long Jing

Dragon Well

The legendary pan-fired Chinese green tea.

Regular price $21.00
Sale price $21.00 Regular price
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About

Long Jing is a roasted green tea granted imperial status during the Qing dynasty. It is made from the spring flush and processed by hand.

Long Jing, or Dragon Well, is a legendary Chinese green tea from the low hills ringing West Lake in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province.

Hand-picked in early spring, the leaves are pressed and turned by hand in a hot wok, flattening them into the smooth, blade-like shape that is the tea's signature. This pan-firing – rather than the steaming used for Japanese green teas – is what gives Long Jing its toasted-chestnut sweetness. 

This premium green tea brews a smooth, slightly sweet taste with subtle floral notes and a clean finish. Rich in antioxidants, Long Jing has a refined taste and less 'grassy' notes when compared to other green teas.

This tea is perfect for those seeking an authentic, high-quality green tea experience informed by centuries of Chinese tea-making tradition.

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Long Jing

Long Jing

Tasting

Leaf

Flat, smooth blades pressed straight in the wok – the signature Long Jing shape. Jade to yellow-green, with a faint sheen and pale downy tips. Uniform and slender, more spear than curl.

Aroma

Toasted and nutty – roasted chestnut and warm grain, a note often likened to fried soybean. A subtle, fresh vegetal scent of cut grass and snow pea sits underneath. Sweet and clean, without the marine edge of steamed Japanese greens .

Liquor

Pale yellow-green to light gold, bright and clear. A light to medium body that's smooth and rounded, finishing clean with a lingering sweetness. Low astringency when brewed cool; turns brisk and grassy if the water runs too hot.

Profile
Tea Type Green
Processing Pan-Fired
Caffeine High
Harvest Early Spring
Perfect For Morning
Milk Option Milk is not suitable for this tea.
Preparation

How to brew Long Jing

Long Jing is a delicate green tea and should be brewed with water off the boil – around 80°C. Boiling water will scorch the leaf and turn it bitter and grassy; cooler water keeps it sweet and nutty.

Brew it Western style for a single, easy cup, or gong fu with more leaf in short and repeated steeps to draw out the unique flavours across several infusions.

Temperature 80°C / 176°F
Measure 3g per 250ml
Steep Time 2
Infusions 1
Brewer's Note

Boiling water will scorch the leaf and turn this tea bitter and grassy. Instead, pour boiling water between a few different vessels at room temperature to bring the temperature down before pouring onto your tea leaves.

Temperature 80°C / 176°F
Measure 5-7g per 150ml
Steep Time 20s, +10s per steep
Infusions 3-4
Brewer's Note

Don't rinse the leaves, the first steep carries a lot of the aroma and should be pleasant to drink. Experiment with leaf ratio and steep times to experience the different flavours unlocked within the tea leaf.

Origin

Zhejiang

Elevation ▲ 100-350m
Country China

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, sits at the southern end of the Grand Canal – the waterway of more than a thousand kilometres that linked the wealthy Yangtze delta to the imperial north. In the 12th century it became the capital of the Southern Song dynasty and grew into one of the largest and richest cities in the world; when Marco Polo passed through, he described it as among the finest cities on earth.

At its heart is West Lake, ringed by hills on three sides. For over a thousand years the lake has been a subject of Chinese poetry and painting, and a model for designed landscapes across East Asia – in 2011 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage site. An old proverb pairs the city with its northern rival: above is heaven; below, Suzhou and Hangzhou.

Tea runs through this history. The hills above the lake are scattered with temples and springs – among them the well that gives Dragon Well its name – and the gardens here drew the attention of emperors. The Qianlong Emperor is said to have visited in the 18th century and singled out eighteen bushes beneath Lion Peak, still known today as the Imperial Tea Trees.