Ingredients
Tea
- 3 gLongjing leaves, about 1 heaped tsp
Water
- 150 mlsoft water, heated to 80C
Equipment
- a tall clear glass, or a porcelain gaiwan
- a kettle with temperature control, if you have one
Note
- no milk, no sugar, no lemon
Directions
- Keep it in the freezer if you have bought a lot of good tea. Use soft water, filtered if your tap water is hard. Never use boiling water on Longjing.
- Bring the water to the boil and let it stand for three or four minutes. It should be around eighty degrees when it meets the leaves.
- Pour it between two vessels to cool it quickly if you are impatient. Warm the glass first with a little hot water and pour it out.
- Add a third of the water and swirl it gently. Add the leaves and let them sit for thirty seconds.
- Top the glass up slowly, pouring down the side. The leaves will rise and then sink as they take up water. Top the glass up with more hot water as you drink. Warm the gaiwan and add the leaves.
- Pour in the eighty-degree water. Steep the first infusion for about forty-five seconds. Pour it all out, since leaves left sitting go bitter.
- Add about fifteen seconds to each subsequent steep. Now drinking it, which needs nothing added.
Technique
- Never use boiling water, since it scalds the leaves and turns the cup bitter.
- Pour the whole infusion out; leaves left sitting in water go bitter.
- Much tea sold as Longjing is grown outside West Lake and should cost less.
Substitutions
- Any good pan-fired Chinese green tea.
- Filtered water if your tap water is hard.
Variations
- Brewed in a tall glass, as in Hangzhou.
- Brewed in a gaiwan for multiple short infusions.
- Cold-brewed overnight in the fridge, which is sweet and low in bitterness.
History
Grown near Hangzhou’s West Lake; the Qianlong Emperor visited the Shifeng hills in the 18th century and declared eighteen bushes imperial tea trees.
Frequently asked questions
What is Longjing Tea?
Longjing Tea is a drink from China: pan-fired flat green tea from West Lake hills, sweet with a chestnut note. Grown near Hangzhou’s West Lake; the Qianlong Emperor visited the Shifeng hills in the 18th century and declared eighteen bushes imperial tea trees.
How long does Longjing Tea take to make?
Longjing Tea takes 5 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 pot or glass. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Longjing Tea?
Yes, within limits. Any good pan-fired Chinese green tea. Filtered water if your tap water is hard.
What is the most important thing to get right in Longjing Tea?
Keep it in the freezer if you have bought a lot of good tea. Use soft water, filtered if your tap water is hard. Never use boiling water on Longjing.
