Review: Longjing（Dragon Well) Hangzhou 2019

日本語 (Japanese)

Longjing tea is a green tea made in Longjing Village, Hangzhou, in China’s Zhejiang Province. In China, it's so famous that if you say "green tea,” Longjing is the first to come to mind. Ming qian Longjing, the high-grade leaves plucked in April before the Qingming festival, are especially prized. The leaves are light green and flattened during production, so even their appearance is unique and beautiful. In China, Longjing is set above other teas because its four qualities color, smell, appearance, and taste are all exceedingly superb.

Because green tea cools your body, it’s especially delicious on hot days. I put 4 grams of tea leaves into a glass with a lid, pour in 150 cc of 90 °C (194 °F) water, and close the lid. Waiting one minute, I enjoy watching the flat leaves spread out and dance. When you want a sweeter flavor, it’s good to reduce the temperature to 80 °C (176 °F) and steep for 2 and a half minutes.

When I open the lid, a refreshing fragrance wafts out. It reminds of a time I was drinking the first Longjing of that year, after Chinese New Year in a still-chilly early March, waiting for the warmth of spring. The beautiful yellow-green leaves drifting in the hot water looked somehow radiant, and I remember thinking in that moment, “Spring has come!”

The color is not as deep as Japanese green tea, closer to yellow. Because of its pale color you might think the flavor would be light, but a deep sweetness and a rich, pleasant slight bitterness fills my mouth when I take a sip. And when you smell its fresh grass-like aroma, you can picture its verdant tea fields. The flavor of the second steeping has become even smoother; there’s no bitterness and no astringency remains on the tongue. As I drank this Longjing on a hot, humid summer morning, my sweat dried and it woke me up. Because it’s a green tea, not only does its caffeine help keep you awake, but there are many other benefits. The highly concentrated tea catechins have antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and cancer-preventing properties. It can also act as a diuretic and is effective against inflammation.

As I sip the tea, I feel once again that tea is a medicine for both the mind and body.

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