About Qiandao Lake Dragon Well Tea (Longjing) 2024

Longjing is a very famous Chinese green tea, well known among Chinese tea lovers. Longjing is famous for its natural verdant color, beautiful leaf shape, rich fragrance and mellow taste. The highest-grade Longjing comes from the West Lake mountains; cheaper, second-grade Longjing is produced in areas such as Qian Tang and Yuezhou, beyond the West Lake mountains but still inside Zhejiang province. This special Longjing green tea comes from the Qiandao Lake area. The more premium version of Longjing is the West Lake Longjing.
Longjing tea leaves are flat, straight and green. The best Longjing is made using one bud or one bud with one leaf, only the most delicate buds are picked. This Longjing tastes fresh and sweet, with a soothing aroma and a hint of chestnut.

Appearance & Taste

According to the grade of the tea, each leaf looks like a ‘lotus heart, or bird tongue, or flag gun’. The Longjing leaf is flat, straight and green.

Longjing tastes fresh and sweet, with a soothing aroma and a hint of chestnut.

Taste: Chestnut, Floral, Fresh, Fruity, Sweet

Brewing Guide

Tea Cup

2 teaspoon(s)

80-85°C (125ml)

1 mins

Enjoy!

Kongfu Style

It is best to use the Top-Drop, Mid-Drop and bottom-drop (what’s this?) brewing method.

Top-Drop Method:

Warm the teaware with hot water. Discard the water afterwards
Pour hot water (80°C) into the teaware until it is seven-tenths full
Add 2 teaspoons of tea for teacup/gaiwan (125ML), 4 teaspoons for glass (250ML) and 8 teaspoons for teapot (500ML)
Infuse tea for around 1 minute. If using gaiwan gongfu style, the first brew can be around 10s, the second time is around 20s, then gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brewing
Drink until 1/3 of the tea left before refilling
Repeat a total of three times
Gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brews

Mid-Drop Method:

Warm the teaware with hot water. Discard the water afterwards
Pour hot water (80–85°C) into the teaware until it is one-third full
Add 2 teaspoons of tea for teacup/gaiwan (125ML), 4 teaspoons for glass (250ML) and 8 teaspoons for teapot (500ML)
Tilt the teaware, slowly rotating it two times (this is to ensure a better infusion)
Fill the teaware with hot water (80–85°C)
Infuse tea for around 1 minute. If using gaiwan gongfu style, the first brew can be around 10s, the second time is around 20s, then gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brewing
Drink until 1/3 of the tea left before refilling
Can be brewed a total of three times
Gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brews

Bottom-Drop Method:

Warm the teaware with hot water. Discard the water afterwards
Add 2 teaspoons of tea for teacup/gaiwan (125ML), 4 teaspoons for glass (250ML) and 8 teaspoons for teapot (500ML)
Pour hot water (80–85°C) into the teaware until it is one-third full
Tilt the glass cup, slowly rotating it two times (this is to ensure a better infusion)
Pour hot water (80–85°C) into the teaware until it is seven-tenths full
Infuse tea for around 1 minute. If using gaiwan gongfu, the first brew can be around 10s, the second time is around 20s, then gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brewing
Drink until 1/3 of the tea left before refilling
Repeat a total of three times
Gradually increase steeping time for subsequent brews.

Origin

Longjing is produced in areas such as Qian Tang and Yuezhou, beyond the West Lake mountains but still inside Zhejiang province. Our Longjing comes from the Qiandao Lake area.

Origin: Zhejiang

Picking & Production

Ingredients: The Qiandao Lake Longjing is made using one bud or one bud with one leaf; only the most delicate buds are picked.

Picking: For the best-quality Longjing green tea, picking should take place as early as possible: the tea grower must pick the most delicate buds with one leaf before it is too late. For super-high-grade Longjing, picking should begin before Qingming （the fifth Chinese solar term, 4, 5 or 6 April) when only the most delicate sprouts are exposed. The resultant tea is called ‘Pre-ming Longjing’; it is very rare and the most expensive Longjing.

Two Types of Spring Teas: Tea picked before the end of May is known as spring tea. After one year of rehabilitation, the buds of the plant are stout and strong in the spring, with delicate leaves and rich white fuzz. The tea leaves contain rich effective substances. Spring tea is regarded as having the best quality compared to tea picked in the summer or autumn. Depending on the precise growth period, spring tea can be divided into Mingqian tea and Yuqiang tea. Our Qiandao Lake Dragon Well belongs to Mingqian tea.

See below the taste differences between Mingqian and Yuqian teas.

1. Mingqian tea

Mingqian tea is made from leaves picked before Pure Brightness (Apr.4th, 5th, or 6th). Tea workers only pick very recent buds; these comprise almost 100% of the raw material for Mingqian tea. However, because of the low temperatures before Pure Brightness, these buds are limited, and due to the low growth rate of the plant, the yield is usually very small. There is therefore a saying: ‘Mingqian tea is as expensive as gold’. It is regarded as the highest grade of Biluochun.

Taste: Mingqian tea has an extraordinarily delicate and fresh taste –like the earliest spring day on the tip of the tongue.

2. Yuqian tea

Yuqian tea is made from tea picked before the Grain Rain (19, 20 or 21 April). During this period, the temperature is moderate and the rainfall is abundant, and the first tea leaves appear. One bud with the first leaf provides the raw material for making Yuqian tea.

Although Yuqian tea is not as delicately flavoured as Mingqian tea, it has a stronger taste and can be brewed longer and more times. This is because the temperature is higher during the picking period for Yuqian tea, which causes the tea leaves to grow relatively fast; the accumulated substances in the tea leaves are also richer.

Taste: Yuqian tea is very fresh with a strong aroma. It has a robust flavor, a sweet, lingering fragrance and an invigorating taste.

5 reviews for Qiandao Lake Dragon Well Tea (Longjing) 2024

Rated 5 out of 5
Caleb – 30/04/2021
Lovely herbal tea with just a hint of nutty chestnut. Really pleasant to sip away at!
Rated 5 out of 5
Taj – 08/02/2021
I initially fell in love with the look of these tea leaves – such a lovely shade of green. The tea itself is very pleasant, almost nutty.
Rated 4 out of 5
Harrison S. – 18/01/2021
Amazing herbal tea with delicious and refreshing flavours.
Rated 5 out of 5
Claudia R. – 18/12/2020
You can really taste the nutty character of this tea. It’s unusual and that makes it special
Rated 5 out of 5
Zara A. – 09/01/2020
This tea is helping me be strong in my regular routine. it’s a bit bitter but it’s a good taste! Worth a try.