My penpal Mikako shared this tin of Xihu Longjing green tea with me. She told me that her husband purchased the Longjing in Hangzhou, China while on a business trip. Her husband travels to Hangzhou every year with city members as there is an amicable relationship between her town of Iwakuni-city, Japan and Hangzhou-city, China.
Upon opening the tin and the tightly sealed foil bag, a fresh green fragrance emitted from the package. The broad flat tea leaves captured my attention, along with the mottled green color. Xihu Longjing translates to West Lake Dragonwell tea. Typically, only harvested once a year in the spring, it is a pan fried tea.
Once brewed, the tea leaves maintain their original shape as noted here. The leaves on the left are dry, while the tea leaves on the right have been steeped at 180 degrees for 2 minutes. The color and shape of the leaves are almost identical. The pale green brew is delicate in flavor and quite enjoyable. An added plus, you can enjoy multiple steepings using the same leaves.
Additional information about Longjing Green tea can be found on Wikipedia where it is suggested that the tea leaves can be eaten after brewing.
A very special gift from Mikako. It sounds delicious --- I'm learning to love green teas more and more. I enjoyed your review and the comparison of the tea leaves (before and after). Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a tea a bought at the farmers market called blue dragon. It's could be brewed several times and even cold brewed and enjoy. Thanks for putting a name to it.
ReplyDeleteI am sitting here imagining how wonderful this tea must taste. Oh it does look delicious. What a thoughtful gift for a tea lover.
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