| Origin | Longjing has three designated production areas in Zhejiang: Xihu, Qiantang and Yuezhou. Xihu Longjing comes specifically from the West Lake area; tea from the other two regions is also Longjing. | Traditional Dongting Biluochun comes from the East and West Dongting hills by Lake Taihu in Suzhou. Similar curled teas are made elsewhere, so leaf shape alone does not establish this origin. |
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| Leaf and processing | Heat and pressure give the leaves their flat shape. Production may be manual, mechanical or a combination; flat leaves are not proof of hand processing. | Small curled leaves often carry pale down from young buds. Some of that down can enter the cup; a little suspended material is not, by itself, a quality fault. |
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| Flavour | Often has chestnut, bean and fresh green notes. The strength of the toasted flavour depends on processing. | Often floral, with fresh green notes and sometimes hints of fruit. The aromas vary between batches. |
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| A first brew | Try 2 g in 250 ml of water at 80–85 °C. Taste after a minute; 1–2 minutes is usually a useful starting range, then separate the leaves from the liquor. Adjust to your tea and preference. | Start with the same 2 g per 250 ml and 1–2 minutes. If the cup is harsh, shorten the steep or try 75–80 °C. Adding water to a glass before the leaves is an option, not a requirement. |
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| Buying | Ask about the production area, harvest year and storage. Mingqian means picked before Qingming; it does not automatically mean better flavour. | For tea sold as Dongting Biluochun, ask for the specific origin. Plenty of down and an early harvest cannot replace tasting; packaging and storage also determine freshness. |
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| Caffeine | Contains caffeine. The tea name cannot reliably tell you how much, or whether a cup will affect your sleep. | Also contains caffeine. Delicate flavour and young buds do not mean a lower dose; the tea and how you brew it both matter. |
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