Difference between revisions of "Longjing tea"

Latest revision as of 15:41, 19 September 2013

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Long Jing

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-[[File:dragon_well_tea.jpg|thumbnail|250px|Longjing tea]]
+#REDIRECT [[Long Jing]]
-'''Longjing tea''' (龍井茶, lóngjǐng chá), sometimes called by its literal translated name ''Dragon Well tea'', is a variety of pan-fried [[green tea]] from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China where it is produced mostly by hand and has been renowned for its high quality, earning the [[China Famous Tea]] title.
-==Production and Health Content==
-Like most other Chinese green tea, Longjing tea leaves are roasted  early in processing (after picking) to stop the natural oxidation process, which is a part of creating black and oolong teas. In the world of tea, the term "fermentation" refers to the actions of natural enzymes, present in the leaves, on the juices and tissues of the leaf; this is not fermentation in the true sense of the term (as, for example, the action of yeast in producing beer). The actions of these enzymes is stopped by 'firing' (heating in pans) or by steaming the leaves before they completely dry out. As is the case with other green teas (and 'white teas'), Longjing tea leaves are therefore "unfermented." When steeped, the tea produces a yellow-green color. The tea contains Vitamin C, amino acids, and, like most finer Chinese green teas, has one of the highest concentrations of [[catechin]]s among teas.
-==Quality==
-The  tea can be very expensive, and the prices depend on the varieties, of which there are many. Longjing is divided into six grades: ''Superior'' and then 1 down to 5.  Infused leaves are a good indicator of quality, which is characterized by maturity and uniformity of the shoots harvested for processing.  High quality Longjing teas produce tender, whole leaves that are uniform in appearance.  Lower quality varieties may vary in color from bluish to deep green after steeping.  Before infusion, higher quality Longjing teas have a very tight, flat shape and light green color.  A study by Wang and Ruan (2009) found that one aspect of the perceived low quality of Longjing teas was a higher concentration of chlorophyll, producing a darker green color. The study revealed that free amino acids and theanine concentrations contribute positively to what is perceived as a good taste.
-==Legends==
-Longjing tea was granted the status of Gong Cha, or Imperial tea, in Qing Dynasty by Chinese emperor Kangxi. According to the legend, Kangxi's grandson Qianlong visited West Lake during one of his famous holidays.
-He went to the Hu Gong Temple under the Lion Peak Mountain (Shi Feng Shan) and was presented with a cup of Longjing tea. In front of the Hu Gong Temple were 18 tea bushes. Emperor Qianlong was so impressed by the Longjing tea produced here that he conferred these 18 tea bushes special imperial status. The trees are still living and the tea they produce is auctioned annually for more money per gram than gold.
-There is another legend connecting Emperor Qianlong to Longjing Tea. It is said that while visiting the temple he was watching the ladies picking the tea. He was so enamored with their movements that he decided to try it himself. While picking tea he received a message that his mother, the Empress Dowager was ill and wished his immediate return to Beijing. He shoved the leaves he had picked into his sleeve and immediately left for Beijing. Upon his return he immediately went to visit his mother. She noticed the smell of the leaves coming from his sleeves and he immediately had it brewed for her. It is said that the shape of Longjing Tea was designed to mimic the appearance of the flattened leaves that the emperor brewed for his mother.
-Longjing, which literally translates as "dragon well," is said to have named after a well that contains relatively dense water, and after rain the lighter rainwater floating on its surface sometimes exhibits a sinuous and twisting boundary with the well water, which is supposed to resemble the movement of a Chinese dragon.
-Legend also has it that to achieve the best taste from Longjing, water from the Dreaming of the Tiger Spring, a famous spring in Hangzhou, is to be used. The water quality of the spring now is certainly very different than before.  The tea takes its name from the eponymous "Dragon Well" located near Longjing village in Hangzhou province.
-==Authentic Longjing==
-There are various definition of ''Longjing''; however a common definition is that ''authentic'' Longjing at least has to come from the Zhejiang province in China, with the most conservative definition restrict the type to the various villages and plantations in the West Lake area in Hangzhou. It can also be defined as any tea grown within the Xihu district. A large majority of Longjing tea on the market however is actually not from Hangzhou, Zhejiang.  Credible sellers may sometimes provide anti-fake labels or openly state that the tea is not from Zhejiang.  Many of these ''inauthentic'' longjing teas are produced in provinces such as Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Guangdong.
-It is actually quite easy to tell if Longjing Tea is authentic and that is by taste and smell. The aroma and flavors of the ''inauthentic'' Longjing Teas are nowhere near as complex, or longlasting as the authentic tea. These teas, although similar in appearance are mild in flavor and aroma and do not have the long lasting aftertaste of the original.
-Some tea makers take fresh tea leaves produced in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces and process them using Longjing tea techniques; and some merchants mix a small amount of high grade with low grade tea, and sell it as expensive high grade.
-==Varieties==
-[[File:Longjing tea 7.jpg|thumb|250px|Examples of ''Xi Hu Longjing'']]
-; '''Xihu Longjing''': This is an example of the very standard convention of naming; the Xi Hu (West Lake) is a place where this particular Longjing is grown. This Longjing, also known as ''West Lake Longjing'', is a [[China Famous Tea]]—in fact the most famous one—and is grown in the Zhejiang Province near Xihu, or West Lake. It is grown in a designated area of 168 square kilometers. Historically, Xihu longjing tea was divided into four sub-regions: Lion (Shi), Dragon (Long), Cloud (Yun) and Tiger (Hu). As the distinction between the sub-regions blurred over the years, this categorization has now been adjusted to Shifeng Longjing, Meijiawu Longjing, with the remaining known collectively as Xihu Longjing.
-;'''Bird's Tongue Longjing''': First growth picked on about March 21 yields a more intense aroma and taste of sweetness than the better known Ming Qian Longjing. Supply is highly dependent on climate.
-[[File:Longjing tea leaves.jpg|thumb|250px|''Ming Qian Longjing'']]
-;'''Pre-Qingming Longjing''': The premium early season first-picking known as '''Ming Qian''' or Pre-Qingming (or Before Ching Ming) Longjing tea requires it to be produced from the first spring shoots prior to the Qingming Festival on the 5th of April each year (approximately). The production cycle is very short, usually only ten days before Qingming every year. Tea picked after this period is of a lower grade called Yuqian Longjing (雨前龍井), or "Dragon Well Before the Rain".
-;'''Shi Feng Longjing''': A variety of Xihu Longjing. Fresh taste, sharp and long lasting fragrance. Its leaves are yellow-green in color. Some unscrupulous tea makers excessively pan-fire their tea to imitate its color.
-; '''Meijiawu Longjing''' : A variety of Xihu Longjing and renowned for its jade green color.
-; '''Bai Longjing''': Not a genuine Longjing but looks like one and is commonly attributed. This tea is actually a Bai Pian. This tea is produced in Anji, Zhejiang province.
-; '''Qiantang Longjing''': This Longjing comes from outside the Xihu district and is less expensive as Xihu Longjing.
-== See also ==
-*[[China Famous Tea]]
-[[Category:Chinese tea]]
-[[Category:China famous tea]]
-[[Category:Green tea]]
-[[de:Longjing]]

Difference between revisions of "Longjing tea"

Latest revision as of 15:41, 19 September 2013

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