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{{Short description|Variety of flowering plant}}
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{{POV|date=June 2021}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2021}}
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{{Infobox Tea 
 |Tea_name        =Longjing tea <br/> 龍井茶 
 |Tea_type        =[[Green tea]] 
 |Tea_color       =Green 
 |Tea_image       =File:Longjing tea.jpg
 |Tea_origin       =[[Hangzhou]], [[Zhejiang]] Province, [[China]] 
 |Tea_names       =Dragon Well, Lung Ching
 |Tea_quick       =Very gentle and sweet
}}

'''Longjing tea''' ({{zh|t=龍井茶|s=龙井茶|cy= lung4 jeng2 cha4|p=lóngjǐng chá}}; [[Standard Mandarin]] pronunciation {{IPAc-cmn|l|ong|2|.|j|ing|3|.|ch|a|2}}), sometimes called by its literal translated name '''Dragon Well tea''', is a variety of pan-roasted [[green tea]] from the area of [[Longjing, Hangzhou|Longjing Village]] in [[Hangzhou]], [[Zhejiang]] Province, [[China]]. It is produced mostly by hand and renowned for its high quality, earning it the [[List of Chinese teas#Ten Famous Teas|China Famous Tea]] title.

==Nutritional information==
Longjing tea contains [[vitamin C]], [[amino acid]]s, and, like most finer Chinese green teas, has high concentrations of [[tea catechins|catechin]]s.[[File:Longjing villiage.jpg|thumb|232x232px|Longjing tea plantation]]

== Environmental requirements for growth ==

=== Water ===
The overall water content of tea plants is 55%–60%, but the water content of new shoots is as high as 70%–80%. In the tea picking process, the continuous regrowth of new shoots therefore needs a constant supply of water. Therefore, Longjing tea trees need more water than ordinary trees. It is suggested that the growth and development of tea trees were most suitable when the annual precipitation was 2000–3000 mm, the average monthly precipitation in tea season was 200–300 mm, the atmospheric relative humidity was 80%–90% and the soil field water holding capacity was 70%–80%.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=西湖龙井茶茶树生长的环境条件要求 - 农业种植网|url=https://m.my478.com/html/201806/92619.html|access-date=2021-04-23|website=m.my478.com}}</ref>

=== Temperature ===
The annual average temperature suitable for tea trees is above 13°C, and the monthly average temperature in the growing season of tea trees is no lower than 15°C. And the most suitable temperature for the growth of Longjing tea is between 10°C and 20°C.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=龙井茶与气候环境-资讯-中国天气网|url=http://www.weather.com.cn/science/2014/11/2220672.shtml|access-date=2021-04-23|website=www.weather.com.cn}}</ref> The growth of new shoots first accelerates with increasing air temperature, but when the air temperature reaches above 35°C, the growth of tea trees will be inhibited.<ref name=":0" />

=== Light ===
Longjing tea is light-sensitive and shade-resistant. It is forbidden to direct light and only tune to the specific level of sunlight. 90% ~ 95% of the dry matter in tea plant organisms is synthesized by [[photosynthesis]], which can only be carried out under sunlight. The branches with poor light conditions developed weakly. The fully illuminated leaf cells are closely arranged, the epidermal cells are thicker, the leaves are thicker and firmer, the leaf color is relatively dark and glossy, the quality components are rich.{{clarify|date=January 2022}}<ref name=":0" />

== Benefits of production in Hangzhou ==
Jiabin Wang is a tea research expert in Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture. After years of research, he found that the temperature, light, relative humidity, rainfall and other conditions in the 28°~32° N are very suitable for the growth of Longjing tea trees and the best suitable area for tea planting. The southwest of West Lake area is located in the middle of the latitude, 30°04′~30°20′ N.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=西湖龙井茶的生长环境 - 茶叶种植_为您提供茶叶种植技术、培训、方法等知识 - 普洱茶网,www.puercn.com|url=https://www.puercn.com/js/cyzz/31794.html|access-date=2021-04-23|website=www.puercn.com|date=17 October 2012 }}</ref> In Hangzhou, the solar radiation is weak, the rainfall is more, and the temperature is lower. Especially areas around the West Lake Hangzhou is known for a mild, temperate, and often rainy climate, creating the perfect terroir to maximize flavor.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Covey|first=Amy|date=Apr 16, 2018|title=A Brief History of Longjing Tea|url=https://redblossomtea.com/blogs/red-blossom-blog/a-brief-history-of-longjing-tea}}</ref> In the picking season (the best picking period of West Lake Longjing tea is from late March to April, and the climate before and after the picking period has a vital impact on the quality of tea, including nutrition, [[tea polyphenols]] and amino acid content), the local temperature is basically between 10°C and 20°C, which makes the tea buds of West Lake Longjing tea picked at this time smaller and higher in quality. West Lake Longjing Tea is planted in the surrounding area of West Lake, near Qiantang River where the local air humidity is high and has relatively low solar radiation which is the best condition for the growth of Longjing tea. Because of this climate advantage, the level of amino acids in West Lake Longjing tea is high and the level of tea polyphenols is low which creates its high nutritional value, and fresh taste.<ref name=":1" />
==Quality==
{{Tea map china province | Tea_province=Zhejiang}}

Longjing is divided into six grades: ''Superior'' and then 1 down to 5.  Infused leaves are a good indicator of quality, which is characterized by maturity and uniformity of the shoots harvested for processing.  High quality Longjing teas produce tender, whole leaves that are uniform in appearance.  Lower quality varieties may vary in color from bluish to deep green after steeping.  Before infusion, higher quality Longjing teas have a very tight, flat shape and light green color.  A study by Wang and Ruan (2009) found that one aspect of the perceived low quality of Longjing teas was a higher concentration of chlorophyll, producing a darker green color. The study revealed that free amino acids and theanine concentrations contribute positively to what is perceived as a good taste.<ref>Wang, K & Ruan, J. (2009). Analysis of chemical components in green tea in relation  with perceived quality, a case study with Longjing green teas. ''International Journal of Food Science and Technology,'' 44, 2476-2484. {{doi|10.1111/j.1365-2621.2009.02040.x}}</ref>

==Legends==
Longjing tea was granted the status of Gong Cha, or imperial tea, in the [[Qing dynasty]] by the [[Kangxi Emperor]]. According to the legend,<ref name=AMG2>Amazing-Green-Tea.com, {{cite web | title=Longjing Tea - What Is So Special About It | url=http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/longjing-tea.html}}, www.amazing-green-tea.com</ref> the Kangxi Emperor's grandson, the [[Qianlong Emperor]], visited [[West Lake]] during one of his famous holidays.

He went to the Hu Gong Temple under the Lion Peak Mountain (Shi Feng Shan) and was presented with a cup of Longjing tea. In front of the Hu Gong Temple were 18 tea bushes. The Qianlong Emperor was so impressed by the Longjing tea produced here that he conferred these 18 tea bushes special imperial status. The trees are still living and the tea they produce is auctioned annually for higher price per gram than gold.
There is another legend connecting the Qianlong Emperor to Longjing tea. It is said that while visiting the temple he was watching the ladies picking the tea. He was so enamored with their movements that he decided to try it himself. While picking tea he received a message that his mother, [[Empress Xiaoshengxian|Empress Dowager Chongqing]], was ill and wished his immediate return to Beijing. He shoved the leaves he had picked into his sleeve and immediately left for Beijing. Upon his return he immediately went to visit his mother. She noticed the smell of the leaves coming from his sleeves and he immediately had it brewed for her. It is said that the shape of Longjing Tea was designed to mimic the appearance of the flattened leaves that the emperor brewed for his mother.

Longjing, which literally translates as "dragon well", is said to have named after a well that contains relatively dense water, and after rain the lighter rainwater floating on its surface sometimes exhibits a sinuous and twisting boundary with the well water, which is supposed to resemble the movement of a [[Chinese dragon]].

Legend also has it that to achieve the best taste from Longjing, water from the [[Dreaming of the Tiger Spring]], a famous spring in Hangzhou, is to be used. The water quality of the spring now is certainly very different from before.  The tea takes its name from the eponymous "Dragon Well" located near [[Longjing, Hangzhou|Longjing village]].

==Authentic Longjing==
[[File:Longjing cultivars.jpg|thumb|Different Longjing tea cultivars]]There are various definitions of ''Longjing''; however a common definition is that ''authentic'' Longjing at least has to come from the [[Zhejiang]] province in China,<ref name="james">{{cite book|title=Information China: the comprehensive and authoritative reference source of new China, Volume 3|author=James, Caradog Vaughan|publisher=[[Oxford]]: [[Pergamon Press]]|year=1989|isbn=978-0-08-034764-6|page=1417}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The New Tea Companion: A Guide to Teas Throughout the World|author=Pettigrew, Jane and Bruce Richardson|publisher=Benjamin Press|year=2005|isbn=978-0-9663478-3-8|page=88}}</ref> with the most conservative definition restrict the type to the various villages and plantations in the [[West Lake]] area in [[Hangzhou]].<ref>{{cite book|title=China, Volume 10|author=Cummings, Joe and Robert Storey|publisher=Lonely Planets Publications|year=1991|isbn=978-0-86442-123-4|page=345}}</ref> It can also be defined as any tea grown within the [[Xihu District, Hangzhou|Xihu District]].<ref name="Hochstetter">{{cite web|last=Hochstetter|first=Danielle|title=Hangzhou and its Tea|url=http://www.hangzhouteatours.com/HZandTea.html|access-date=13 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702140449/http://www.hangzhouteatours.com/HZandTea.html|archive-date=2 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>  A large majority of Longjing tea on the market however is actually not from Hangzhou. Many of these ''inauthentic'' longjing teas are produced in provinces such as Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Guangdong. However credible sellers may sometimes provide anti-fake labels<ref name="AMG1">{{cite web|title=Dragon Well Tea - The Complete Guide |url=http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/dragon-well-tea.html}}</ref> or openly state that the tea is not from Zhejiang. Some tea makers take fresh tea leaves produced in [[Yunnan]], [[Guizhou]] and [[Sichuan]] provinces and process them using Longjing tea techniques; and some merchants mix a small amount of high-grade with low-grade tea, and sell it as expensive high-grade.

Authentic Longjing tea tastes sweet, mellow and rounded. Some varieties are distinctly vegetal and grassy, and others carry a hint of roasted chestnut and butter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://myfavoritea.com/tea-knowledge/5-faqs-about-longjing-tea-dragon-well-long-ching/|title=Our tea blog|date=2019-04-06|website=Tea is FUN|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-01|archive-date=2019-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501065003/https://myfavoritea.com/tea-knowledge/5-faqs-about-longjing-tea-dragon-well-long-ching/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Cultivar adds another layer of complexity to pricing. There are nearly two dozen micro-varieties in [[Zhejiang]] province alone. The Old Tree (Qunti) and No.43 are the most revered and priciest, with pronounced aromas and tastes. Wuniuzao, also called the Early Longjing, is one of the earliest harvests and possesses a comparatively light and subtle taste.

Even the well-trained eyes cannot distinguish all the varieties and sources sometimes. That is why many cheap counterfeits can fool the most informed consumers. However, one should be able to discern some differences by comparing the appearance, scent and liquor of different varieties side by side.

== Production Process ==
[[File:Longjing tea 17.jpg|thumb|292x292px|Freshly-picked tea leaves laid out to dry]]
Like most other Chinese green tea, Longjing [[tea leaves]] are roasted  early in processing (after picking) to stop the natural oxidation process, which is a part of creating black and oolong teas.  The actions of these enzymes are stopped by "firing" (heating in pans) or by steaming the leaves before they completely dry out. As is the case with other green teas (and white teas), Longjing tea leaves experience minimal oxidation. When steeped, the tea produces a yellow-green color.

===Pick Times===
West Lake Longjing tea picking has three characteristics: early, tender, and diligent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Longjing(long jing ) - ScenicSpot - China Wiki|url=https://www.chinawiki.net/thread/48/21370.html|access-date=2021-04-23|website=www.chinawiki.net}}</ref>

==== Pre-Qingming Longjing ====
: The premium early season first-picking known as '''Ming Qian''' or Pre-Qingming (or Before Ching Ming) Longjing tea requires it to be produced from the first spring shoots prior to the [[Qingming Festival]] on the 5th of April each year (approximately). In accordance with the Chinese farming calendar, which is a national holiday between April 1–4, it rains. After the rain the temperature heats up causing the tea plant to grow faster. When the tea bud becomes too big it begins to lose complexity in the brewed flavor, therefore the pre-qingming tea is considered best.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-17|title=Chinese Dragon Tea: A Closer Look at Longjing Tea|url=https://tealeafed.com/chinese-dragon-tea/|access-date=2021-04-28|website=Tea Leafed|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Longjing Tea|url=http://www.viconyteas.com/directory/tea-encyclopedia/longjing-tea.html|access-date=2021-04-23|website=www.viconyteas.com}}</ref>

==== Guyu(Grain Rain) ====
The tea picked before the arrival of Grain Rain in mid-April is also quite good, which is called Yuqian Tea.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=Longjing Tea, Dragon Well Tea - Most Popular Green Tea in China|url=https://www.travelchinaguide.com/longjing-tea.htm|access-date=2021-04-28|website=www.travelchinaguide.com}}</ref>

=== Drying after picking ===
: [[File:Longjing tea 12.jpg|thumb|Tea drying on bamboo screens]]Longjing tea needs about half a day for drying on a bamboo sieve after picking and spread to a thickness of about 2 cm (0.8 in).<ref name=":6"/> This can reduce the taste of grass in tea leaves, make the moisture meet the requirements of frying, enhance the aroma of tea, reduce the bitterness and astringency, increase the amino acid content, improve the freshness and prevent the new tea from clumping during frying.<ref name=":4" />

=== Frying ===
[[File:A man who is frying tea.jpg|thumb|Longjing tea roasting process]]
:Water-removing(杀青), also known as Green pot(绿锅), is the process of water-removing and preliminary forming. When the temperature of the pot reaches 80 ~ 100 C, put in about 100 grams of leaves that have been spread, and fry it with hands.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Loongese Tea|url=https://loongese.com/tea|access-date=2021-04-23|website=Loongese Tea|date=13 November 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> It always start with grasping and shaking. After losing a certain amount of water from tea leaves, people should gradually change techniques to the pressing, shaking, and throwing for preliminary molding. The pressure is changed from light to heavy, achieving the purpose of straightening into strips and flattening molding. When tea leaves are parched to 70% to 80%, stop frying immediately. The whole process lasts for 12-15 minutes.<ref name=":4" />

==Areas==
There are five peaks within Xihu (West Lake). Ranked in order of desirability they are Lion, Dragon, Cloud, Tiger and Plum Flower.

:'''Shi Feng Longjing''': A type of Xihu Longjing from the Shi Feng (Lion Peak) production region. Fresh tasting, its fragrance is sharp and long lasting. Its leaves are yellowish green in color. Some unscrupulous tea makers excessively pan-fire their tea to imitate its color.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Meijiawu.jpg|thumb|''Mei Jia Wu Longjing'' tea, sold in Shanghai]] -->

:'''Cloud Peak''' is a government testing ground, and the tea from there is not usually for sale on the open market.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK_6_ahWEEY  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/MK_6_ahWEEY| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live| title=Long Jing|website=[[YouTube]]|date=20 October 2014 }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

:'''Tiger Spring Longjing''': It is named from the best water source in Tiyun Mountains. This type of Xihu Longjing tastes wonderful even after repeated infusions.

:'''Meijiawu Longjing''': A type of Xihu Longjing from the area around Mejiawu village. This tea is renowned for its jade green color.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chinahangzhoutour.com/attractions/show/dragon_well_tea_plantation.htm|title = Hangzhou Attractions &#124; Dragon Well Tea Village - History, location, tips & Transport}}</ref>
[[File:Longjing Tea field, Dragon Well area, Meijiawu China.jpg|thumb|Meijiawu Village, longjing tea field at Dragon Well Tea Plantation]]
:'''Bai Longjing''': Not a true Longjing but looks like one and is commonly attributed, it is actually a Bai Pian. It comes from [[Anji County|Anji]] in the [[Zhejiang]] Province. It was created in the early 80's and is a [[Green tea]] from a race of [[White tea]] trees and is hence very unusual; it is said to contain more [[amino acid]]s than ordinary [[Green tea]].

:'''Qiantang Longjing''': This tea comes from just outside the Xihu district. It is generally not as expensive as Xihu Longjing.

==Protection outside China==
龍井茶 / 龙井茶 / Longjing cha is protected in the European Union and the UK as a [[Protected Designation of Origin]] since 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tmdn.org/giview/gi/EUGI00000013854|work=European Union|title=龙井茶 / Longjing cha|access-date=2 October 2021}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Drink|China|Taiwan}}
* [[List of Chinese teas]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Teas}}
{{Zhejiang topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Longjing Tea}}
[[Category:Chinese teas]]
[[Category:Chinese tea grown in Zhejiang]]
[[Category:Green tea]]
[[Category:Hangzhou cuisine]]