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What is Hangzhou Longjing Tea
【Category】: Green Tea
【Overview】: It is China's premier tea, produced in the West Lake area of Hangzhou, Zhejiang, specifically in Shifeng, Longjing, Wuyun Mountain, and Hupao. Historically, it was divided into four categories: "Shi, Long, Yun, Hu," with Shifeng generally considered the highest quality. The leaves are flat and smooth, with a yellowish-green color similar to rough rice. The taste is fresh, sweet, and mellow, the aroma is elegant and lofty, and the liquor is clear and yellow-green. The brewed leaves are tender and form whole buds.
The scenic West Lake and the famous Longjing tea are renowned worldwide. Visiting West Lake and tasting Longjing tea is the best enjoyment for tourists in Hangzhou.
Longjing Tea Identification:
Judging the quality of Longjing tea, apart from physical and chemical testing of hygiene indicators, relies entirely on sensory evaluation. Evaluation is conducted based on five factors: appearance, liquor color, aroma, taste, and brewed leaves. Appearance evaluation includes color, shape, tenderness (grade), and freshness, which is the focus of the assessment.
一、Grading Standards for Longjing Tea
Previously, West Lake Longjing tea was divided into 11 grades: Special grade and grades 1 to 10, with Special grade further divided into Special 1, Special 2, and Special 3. Each remaining grade was subdivided into 5 levels, with standard samples set for each "grade level." It was later simplified to Special grade and grades 1 to 8, totaling 43 levels. By 1995, the grading of West Lake Longjing tea was further simplified, only setting Special grade (divided into Special 2 and Special 3) and grades 1 to 4.
二、Quality Characteristics of Longjing Tea
Premium West Lake Longjing and Zhejiang Longjing from spring tea have a flat, smooth appearance, sharp tips, buds longer than leaves, a tender green color, and no fuzz on the surface. The liquor is bright tender green (yellow); the aroma is fresh or has a tender chestnut fragrance, though some may have a high-fire aroma; the taste is refreshing or rich and mellow; the brewed leaves are tender green and relatively intact. As the grade decreases, the leaf color changes from tender green → bluish-green → dark green, the tea leaves become larger, and the strips go from smooth to rough; the fragrance shifts from fresh and brisk to strong and coarse, with grade 4 starting to have a rough taste; the brewed leaves change from tender buds to paired leaves, and the color shifts from tender yellow → bluish-green → yellowish-brown.
Summer and autumn Longjing tea has a dark or deep green color, larger leaves, no fuzz on the surface, a yellow-bright liquor, a fresh but relatively rough aroma, a strong and slightly astringent taste, and yellow-bright brewed leaves. The overall quality is much poorer than spring tea of the same grade. Machine-made Longjing tea, now entirely processed by multi-purpose machines or a combination of machine and manual assistance, mostly has a stick-like flat shape, lacks completeness, and has a dark green color. Under the same conditions, the overall quality is inferior to hand-fried tea. This site does not recommend such tea leaves.
Brewing Method:
1. Water temperature for brewing West Lake Longjing: 85-95°C boiling water (Do not use just-boiled water; it's best to let it cool slightly in the kettle before brewing).
2. Amount of West Lake Longjing per cup: 3g (or adjust according to personal preference).
3. Water choice for brewing West Lake Longjing: Purified water or mountain spring water (Nongfu Spring is quite good; repeated boiling reduces oxygen content in the water, affecting the tea liquor's taste).
4. Brewing utensils: Ceramic or glass tea sets are suitable.
5. Warm the cup with hot water, pour out the water, then add the tea leaves. Next, pour about one-fifth of the hot water to moisten and aroma the tea, swirl for about 30 seconds. Then, use the high pouring method to fill the cup about 70% full with hot water. After 35 seconds, it can be consumed.
Identification Methods:
West Lake Longjing, produced in the West Lake area of Hangzhou, Zhejiang, has flat-shaped leaves, tender texture, neat strips, uniform width, and a green-yellow color. It feels smooth to the touch, typically one bud with one or two leaves; the bud is longer than the leaf, generally under 3 cm, with buds and leaves evenly forming whole pieces, free from stems, fragments, and is small and exquisite. Authentic Longjing tea has a fresh fragrance, while counterfeit Longjing often has a grassy smell, more stems, and does not feel smooth. There are four main techniques for identifying West Lake Longjing:
一、Observe the "Green Color"
At first glance, both authentic and fake may appear green, but an overwhelmingly uniform bright green is likely fake. The top-grade and high-grade new tea from the 168 square kilometer area, especially the supreme "Shi Feng Longjing," has a color that is a natural blend of emerald green and what tea farmers call "rough rice color," seamlessly mixed like ink wash painting. Counterfeits, though highly imitated and also green with yellow, achieve this through high-heat "smothering" during processing, resulting in a dull, sickly yellow, sometimes with slight scorch marks.
二、Smell the "Rich Aroma"
Books describe West Lake Longjing tea's aroma as "orchid-like"—this is only half true. Compared to the subtle scent of orchids, West Lake Longjing's fragrance is stronger. Tea farmers vividly describe it as "fried broad bean" aroma, similar to "orchid bean" fragrance. Authentic "Longjing," especially top-grade "Shi Feng Longjing," when placed in a cup without water initially and covered for a few minutes, releases a distinct orchid bean aroma upon uncovering, often with hints of honey sweetness. This "rich aroma" remains strong even after adding water. Fakes also have fragrance but it's much lighter. Xinchang products might have a "chestnut aroma," Xiaoshan products may faintly smell "earthy," and Shaoxing products have miscellaneous scents—none possess the orchid bean fragrance, especially noticeable during brewing and after the second or third infusion.
三、Taste the "Mellow Flavor"
Drink the first brew down to one-third, then add water and drink half—this is the moment even a complete amateur can tell the difference. Authentic tea has a "rich" and "mellow" taste, with the orchid bean aroma carrying a hint of honey-like sweetness. The taste buds perceive a unique smooth texture, somewhat analogous to the distinct mouthfeel of Tsingtao Beer compared to others—it feels "heavier" and the "mellow" smoothness is more delicate, like comparing flour to starch. Then, swallow a few times to "savor the aftertaste." A clear, elegant sweetness distinctly moistens the throat and remains even 7-8 minutes later, described as "reluctant to rinse after three sips." Fakes reveal themselves upon tasting: the fragrance is noticeably lighter, akin to a dish missing salt, lacking the unique sweet aftertaste and rich, smooth texture. Various off-flavors may appear, such as a slight salty taste like well water or an earthy smell. Even high-mountain teas from Xinchang or Zhuji that easily mimic the authentic taste have a faint sweetness like cane sugar, lacking the honey sweetness.
四、Appreciate the "Beautiful Shape"
Counterfeits are carefully imitated, with pre-Qingming tea also shaped like lotus hearts, brewing into shapes like "sparrow tongues waiting to be fed," "upright nail heads," or "inverted eagle claws." How to tell? Target their weakness: careful imitation often results in uniformly neat lengths, with crushed cores, flakes, and dust often meticulously removed. Authentic tea, due to its high demand and often direct sales, might have a slightly "rougher" final process, leading to varying lengths, and tea cores, flakes, and dust might not be fully sifted out. Also, generally, authentic leaves appear "broader" and plumper, while fakes are often "thinner" and more slender.
In summary, among the four techniques, discerning color is the "foundation," smelling aroma is the "prerequisite," tasting flavor is the "key," and observing shape can largely be ignored unless you are an expert.
