Long Jing
|
|
| Type: | Green tea |
|
|
|
| Other names: | Dragon Well Tea |
| Origin: | Zhejiang , China |
|
|
|
| Brief description: | very mild, sweet |
|
|
|
| Temperature: | 75-80 ° C |
Long Jing is roasted green tea from the Longjing area , near Hangzhou , Zhejiang Province , China .
Surname
The tea has different names and transcriptions: Chinese 龍井茶 / 龙井茶 , Pinyin lóngjǐng chá , IPA ( standard Chinese) [ lʊ̌ŋ.tɕìŋ.ʈʂʰǎ ], Yale lung jeng cha . It refers to the Long Jing / Longjing growing area, which translates as Dragon Well or Dragon Well. Some manufacturers also use the spelling Lung Ching. As part of the name, tea, tea and cha refer to the character as a beverage base.
production
As with most other green teas, the Longjing tea leaves are roasted early in the production process (after being picked) to prevent the natural oxidation processes that are part of the process of making black and oolong teas. The processes of these enzymes are prevented by "firing up" (heating in pans) or by steaming the leaves before they dry out completely. Like other green teas (and white teas ), Longjing tea leaves have minimal oxidation. After soaking , the tea gives off a yellow-greenish color. The tea leaves and buds contain vitamin C , amino acids and one of the highest concentrations of catechins in tea.
quality
The tea can be very expensive and the prices depend on the many different types. Longjing is divided into six classes: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Satisfactory, Sufficient, and Insufficient. Infused tea leaves are a good indicator of quality. This is characterized by the maturity and uniformity of the shoots that are harvested for the process. Quality Longjing teas produce delicate, whole leaves that appear uniform. Less qualitative species can vary in color from bluish to deep green after soaking. Qualitative Longjing teas are very dense, matt and light green in color before being brewed. A study by Wang and Ruan (2009) states that one aspect of Longjing tea's poorly regarded quality is a higher concentration of chlorophyll , which produces a dark green color. The study shows that free amino acids and theanine concentrations contribute to a taste that is perceived as good.
Legends
Longjing tea was elevated to Gong Cha 'imperial tea' by Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty . According to legend, the grandson of Kangxi, Emperor Qianlong , visited the West Lake area during one of his famous vacation trips . He went to Hu Gong Temple under Lion Peak Mountain ( Shi Feng Shan ) where he was served a cup of Longjing tea. There were 18 tea bushes in front of Hu Gong Temple. Emperor Qianlong was so impressed by the Longjing tea that was made there that he gave these 18 tea bushes special imperial status.
There is another legend that Qianlong is associated with Longjing tea. It is said that while he was in the temple, he watched the ladies pick tea. He was so taken with her movements that he decided to try it for himself. While the tea was being picked, he received word that his mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing , was ill and wanted him to return to Beijing immediately. He put the picked leaves in his sleeves and immediately set off for Beijing . There he immediately paid his mother a visit. She noticed the smell of the leaves coming out of his sleeves and he immediately had them cook for her. It is said that the shape of Longjing tea was designed to mimic the appearance of the flat leaves the emperor cooked for his mother.
It is said that Longjing, which literally means 'Dragon Fountain', was named after a fountain that contains relatively cloudy water. After the rain, the lighter rainwater on the surface sometimes has a winding demarcation from the well water that should resemble the movement of a Chinese dragon .
Legends also say that water from the Dreaming of the Tiger Spring , a well-known spring in Hangzhou, is used to get the best taste of Longjing. The water quality of this spring is of course very different from the previous one. The tea takes its name from the eponymous dragon fountain, which is located near Longjing.
Real longjing
There are several definitions of Longjing; however, a common definition is that real Longjing must come from at least Zhejiang Province in China. The most conservative definition narrows down the origins of the best tea in different villages and plantations in the area around the West Lake of Hangzhou. It can also be defined as any tea grown in Xihu District . However, the vast majority of Longjing tea on the market is actually not from Hangzhou. Many of these fake Longjing teas are made in provinces such as Yunnan , Guizhou , Sichuan, and Guangdong . However, credible sellers sometimes offer anti-counterfeit labels or openly admit that the tea is not from Zhejiang.
variants
- Xihu Long Jing : The Xi Hu (West Lake) is the place where the "West Lake Long Jing" is grown. It is considered China Famous Tea. It is grown in a defined cultivation area of 168 square kilometers. Historically, Xihu Longjing tea was divided into four sub-regions: lion ( Shi ), dragon ( Long ), cloud ( Yun ) and tiger ( Hu ). As the difference between the sub-regions has become indistinct over the years, this categorization has now been changed to Shifeng-Longjing, Meijiawu-Longjing, the rest are collectively known as Xihu-Longjing.
- Shi Feng Long Jing : A type of Xihu Long Jing from the Shi Feng (Lion Peak) production area. It tastes fresh, its scent is sharp and long-lasting. Its leaves are yellow-greenish in color.
- Lion Long Jing : This is the best species of all Xihu Longjing species. Originally it was made by the Xihu Longjing Protected Second Degree Farm.
- Pre Qingming Long Jing : The Ming Qiang or Pre Qingming Long Jing must be picked from the first spring shoots before the Qingming Festival on April 5th. The production cycle is very short at 10 days. Tea picked after this time is of lower quality.
- Meijiawu Long Jing : A type of Xihu Longjing from the region around Mejiawu City . This tea is famous for its jade green color.
- Bai Long Jing : Not a real Long Jing, but looks the same and is often confused with the real thing. He's actually a Bai Pian . He is from Anji in Zhejiang Province. Bred in the early eighties, it is a green tea made from a type of white tea tree and is therefore very unusual; it is said to contain more amino acids than regular green tea.
- Qiantang Long Jing : This tea comes from outside of Xihu District.
- Tiger Spring Long Jing : It was named after the best water source in the Tiyun Mountains . This type of Xihu-Longjing is suitable for repeated infusions.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Mary Louise Starkey: Mrs. Starkey's The original guide to private service management. The household management bible . Starkey International, 2008, ISBN 0-9664807-2-4 , pp. 408 (English).
- ↑ K. Wang, J. Ruan: Analysis of chemical components in green tea in relation with perceived quality. A case study with Longjing green teas . In: International Journal of Food Science and Technology . tape 44 , 2009, p. 2476–2484 , doi : 10.1111 / j.1365-2621.2009.02040.x (English).
- ^ Xihu Longjing Tea. To Insider's Guide. In: Amazing Green Tea. Retrieved December 8, 2016 .
- ^ Caradog Vaughan James: Information China. The comprehensive and authoritative reference source of new China . tape 3 . Pergamon Press, Oxford 1989, ISBN 0-08-034764-9 , pp. 1417 (English).
- ↑ Jane Pettigrew, Bruce Richardson: The New Tea Companion. A Guide to Teas Throughout the World . Benjamin Press, 2005, ISBN 0-9663478-3-8 , pp. 88 (English).
- ↑ Joe Cummings, Robert Storey: China . tape 10 . Lonely Planets Publications, 1991, ISBN 0-86442-123-0 , pp. 345 (English).
- ^ A b Danielle Hochstetter: Hanzhou and its tea. In: Hangzhou Tea Tours. Retrieved December 8, 2016 .
- ↑ Dragon Well Tea - The Complete Guide (Longjing). How I Discover Chairman Mao's Cup Of Tea. In: Amazing Green Tea. Retrieved December 8, 2016 .