Long Jing (西湖龍井)
archetype: Hare in a spring field
A springy hare leaps across the morning grass: a light nutty taste, the freshness of a young pod, the long sweetness of a young leaf.
History
The most famous green tea of China. The leaf is gathered only in spring (the best class is 'ming qian', before the Qingming festival), pressed flat and slowly pan-fired by hand in hot iron woks — hence its characteristic flat shape and the aroma of roasted pumpkin seeds. Imperial status was secured in the Qing era: the 18 'imperial bushes' near the Hugong temple are revered and protected to this day.
The Qianlong emperor, walking by West Lake, saw monks gathering tea. He took up the leaf himself, and at that very moment news arrived that his mother was dying. The emperor stuffed a handful of leaves into his sleeve and rushed back to the capital. When his mother breathed in the aroma, she felt relief and asked to drink the tea. The leaf, pressed by the sleeve, became flat — and that is how Long Jing has been made ever since.
Terroir
100–400 m, gentle hills. loose red earth on sandstone, drained and rich in organic matter. humid mists from the lake, a gentle spring without sharp frosts. The benchmark gardens are Shifeng ('lion peak'), Meijiawu, Xihu, Longjin and Yunxi (the 'five famous hu'). Shifeng is considered king — the most nutty profile, the cleanest coolness.
Leaf
dry leaf: flat jade-green even leaves like little swords; smooth and dry to the touch; in the hand smelling of roasted seeds and fresh grass
warmed: the warmed leaf smells of roasted pumpkin seeds, cool young grass and fine floral pollen
after pour: after the infusion — boiled pod, sweet greenery, nut, clean fresh steam
taste: roasted pumpkin seeds, young grass, nut, a cool sweetness in the throat — the 'returning sweetness' (hui gan)
finish: long, clean, leaving in the throat a cool sweet sound, like a note of water on stone
Properties
TCM: cool by nature, yin; clears heat, brightens the head, sends rising liver yang downward, supports vision
Modern: rich in catechins (EGCG) and theanine; gives clear gentle stimulation, supports metabolism, neutralises radicals — the most studied 'functional' green
Cha qi: light, rising into the head; felt as a 'window opening' at the temples and behind the eyes
Caffeine: moderate (30–45 mg)
Brewing ritual
a tall glass of 200 ml — to see the leaf dance; 78 °C, soft; 4 g / 200 ml. 40s — the leaf slowly settles, sweet grass, nut; 60s — the peak of the nutty note, a cool sweetness; 90s — a thin grass, a long echo.
When to drink
morning and the first half of day; not later than 16:00. spring — especially early spring, when the body sheds its winter heaviness. when you need to clear the head after dense sleep, refresh your gaze, support light work over a text. white curd, young vegetables, steamed fish, fresh green salads, rice porridge. a quiet morning or solitary work; good at the start of a meeting that needs a clear head
Tea meditation
- Pour the water down the side — so the leaf is not scorched.
- Wait until it settles to the bottom by itself.
- The hare jumps only when he decides to.
- The first sip on an in-breath. A green chime in the chest.
Questions and answers
How do you brew Long Jing?
a tall glass of 200 ml — to see the leaf dance; 78 °C, soft; 4 g / 200 ml. 40s — the leaf slowly settles, sweet grass, nut; 60s — the peak of the nutty note, a cool sweetness; 90s — a thin grass, a long echo.
What does Long Jing taste like?
roasted pumpkin seeds, young grass, nut, a cool sweetness in the throat — the 'returning sweetness' (hui gan)
How much caffeine is in Long Jing?
moderate (30–45 mg)
What are the effects of Long Jing?
rich in catechins (EGCG) and theanine; gives clear gentle stimulation, supports metabolism, neutralises radicals — the most studied 'functional' green
Related teas