Since ancient times, scene of West Lake and Longjing tea have long been discribed in quotes of famous literati. Su Dongpo said that "Good tea as pretty lady", a high praise of West Lake Longjing. It is green in color, fragrant, and sweet with beautiful shape, and due to these four splendiferous characters, known in China and other countries.
Recognizing
Dry tea is flat, green and yellow. The bud erects and is delicate as flowers. It touches smooth and looks pretty, and uniformed with pod pedicle or debris. Fake Longjing touches unsmooth, with more pod pedicle and the taste of green grass.
Tea ceremony
Middle-putting brewing method: put some tea in a cup and then a small amount of hot water, just immersing the tea. When the tea leaves strech, add water to a 7/10 cup. You can also put a small amount of water into the cup first, and then tea, and finally pour more water to a 7/10 cup.
Water temperature: 80 ℃~85 ℃
Yuqian Longjing and Mingqian Longjing
Longjing tea can be harvested several times in a year, but the tea is especially valuable if picked in an early time. Mingqian longjing is done before "Tomb-sweeping Day", highest grade in all kinds of tea. Yuqian Longjing is harvested before Grain Rain, also top tea. The tea picked in other times is inferior.
Anecdotes of "Royal Tea"
In the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qianlong made 6 tours to the region south of the Yangtze River. He went to the Longjing tea district four times, watched how the tea was harvested and made, and tasted tea and wrote poetry there. He brought Longjing tea back for Empress Dowager. After drinking the tea, her liver-fire disappeared. She praise Longjing tea as a panacea. Emperor Qinglong immediately issue an edict to give the 18 tea trees before the Hu Gong Temple an honour of "imperial tea", which then were collected and made tea every year exclusively for his mother. Since then, Longjing tea was renowned at home and abroad. People are searching for Longjing tea in an endless stream.