LongJing Tea
Longjing tea is a type of green tea and specialty of Zhejiang Province, China. It is known for its emerald color, beautiful shape, lush aroma and mellow taste, and its unique "light and far away", "fragrant and clear" qualities. It is unique among many teas, ranked among the top ten famous teas in China.
History
Before the Sui and Tang dynasties, Hangzhou tea culture was in the emergence stage. During the Three Kingdoms and two Jin Dynasty, the gradual development of economic and cultural development on both sides of the Qiantang River, Lingyin Temple was built, Buddhism and Taoism and other religious activities were gradually prevalent, and the West Lake mountains and scenic waters were gradually opened up. With the establishment of temples and Taoist monasteries tea was planted and spread.
After the opening of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty, Hangzhou, due to the geographical convenience of land and water transportation, became very prosperous. By the Tang Dynasty, Longjing tea was widely cultivated in Hangzhou.
By the time of the Yuan Dysnasty, the name of Longjing grew to great popularity, immortalized in several poems written in admiration of its beauty and lovely taste.
Production
Tea farmers often say, "tea is an hourly plant: early picking three days is a treasure, late picking three days turns to grass.”
The production process of Longjing tea is divided into five steps: plucking, withering, greening, kneading and drying.
Picking: Picking time is generally around the Qingming Festival to around the rainy season. The picking standard is one bud and one leaf or two leaves at the beginning. After picking, it should be sent to the production place in time.
Withering: The picked fresh leaves are laid flat on the bamboo basket or bamboo mat, and dried naturally in a ventilated place for 2-4 hours, so as to reduce the moisture to 70%-80%, and at the same time to promote the enhancement of endogenous enzyme activity.
Kilning: Put the withered fresh leaves into the pot and keep stirring by hand, and control the temperature at about 180-200℃. Kilning time is about 10-15 minutes. The purpose of greening is to inactivate the polyphenol oxidase enzyme in the fresh leaves through high temperature to prevent the polyphenols from oxidizing and deteriorating, so as to maintain the green color and fragrance.
Kneading: Put the killed semi-finished product into a bamboo basket and heat it to about 40-50℃ on a pot. Knead continuously by hand and rotate in clockwise direction. The kneading time is about 20-30 minutes. The purpose of kneading is to make the semi-finished products flat and release their contents.
Drying: The twisted semi-finished products are laid flat on bamboo mats and dried naturally in a ventilated place or by flame drying until the moisture is reduced to about 5%-6%. The drying time is about 1-2 hours. The purpose of drying is to make the semi-finished product become a finished product and keep its color and aroma.
Brewing LongJing Tea
To brew Longjing tea, you need to use transparent utensils such as white jade pots or glass pots, and a good quality water source such as soft water or mountain spring water. The brewing steps are as follows: Wash the pot and preheat it with boiling water. Put a suitable amount (about 3-5 grams) of Longjing tea into the pot. Brew the tea into the pot with boiling water at about 80-85℃ and shake the pot gently. Cover the pot with a lid and leave it to stand for 1-2 minutes. Watch the tea leaves float up and down in the pot and smell the aroma. Pour the brewed tea into cups and taste individually. Repeat the brewing process 2-3 times according to your personal preference.
