Longjing is the most famous Chinese green tea, and it goes by many names: Dragonwell, longjing or lung ching.
In this guide, we’ll start by explaining what longjing tea is and what it tastes like, before diving into how it’s processed and why its pan fired shape is so unique.
From there, we’ll explore the origins of longjing tea, the legendary villages of Hangzhou, and what makes authentic Xihu longjing so special, including cultivars, harvest timing, and terroir.
Finally, we’ll show you how to brew longjing tea properly, what to look for when buying it, its health benefits, and how to store it to keep it fresh.
Let’s get brewing!
What is longjing tea
So, what is Longjing tea? 🤔
Longjing tea (龙井茶), also known as Dragon Well tea, is a prestigious Chinese green tea made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.
This Chinese green tea is defined by its minimal oxidation, achieved through an early pan-firing process (see left chart). Unlike Japanese green teas, which are typically steamed, Longjing is traditionally pan-fired, a technique that halts oxidation while shaping the leaves into their signature flat, spear-like form.
Once brewed, Longjing tea reveals a distinctive chestnut-like, roasted bean flavor with a smooth, mellow finish—an unmistakable profile that sets it apart in the world of green tea.
Hangzhou city is the historical and cultural heart of Longjing tea production. Within this region, the tea is further classified into several sub-regions, each influenced by unique microclimates, soils, and elevation—factors that contribute to its status as one of China’s most renowned geographical indication teas.
This is where famous varieties such as Xihu Longjing and Shifeng Longjing come from, which we’ll explore in more detail later.
Taste profile
So what about the longjing tea taste? A well-brewed, high-quality Longjing should have a roasted bean or chestnut flavor, which is a hallmark of this tea. It should have a smooth creamy flavor, delicate florals and a gentle umami without any bitterness.
Instead of grassy or vegetal notes, you’ll experience a mature, nutty profile created by careful wok firing.
Processing longjing green tea
You’ll notice these freshly picked tea leaves look very different from these flat, spear shaped leaves we see in dragon well longjing green tea, so where does this shape come from?
The unique shape all has to do with the processing of the tea leaves, the sha qing or wok shaping.
The leaves are pressed up against the pan by hand in order to get their flat shape.
But this wok firing does far more than just give the tea its shape.
Leaves are heated to deactivate the enzyme that causes oxidation
What separates green tea from black tea is that green tea leaves are heated after the harvest.
Once a tea leaf is picked, it will begin to oxidize naturally and fade from green to brown.
During this process, the polyphenols in the leaf are converted into theaflavins and thearubigans.
The flavor shifts from fresh and vegetal, to warm, caramel and chocolaty. In order to lock in the vibrant green color and flavor of these leaves, the farmer will apply heat.
This deactivates the enzyme that causes oxidation and prevents the tea from becoming a black tea.
If you want to learn more about this process, you can read our article what makes a green tea a green tea
Chinese panfiring style
In China, this heat is applied through pan firing, while in Japan the preferred method is steaming. This is why Japanese teas have this strong, steamed vegetable or almost seaweed flavor.
You can really see this in a tea like fukamushi sencha, which has a vibrant green color and smooth, almost fruity flavor. Sencha like this is packed with flavor, and almost tastes like a juice compared to the lighter and more nuanced Chinese green teas.
The art of pan-firing longjing
The farmer wants a dry heat to produce this warmer and nuttier flavor profile. This pan firing is more of an art than a science, and the producer really needs to dial in the pressure applied to the leaves, the heat of the pan and the speed of the tossing.
Most producers don’t use any sort of measurement tools to gauge this, it’s all done by feel. It really takes a lot of experience to know exactly how to toss and press the leaves and when they are done.
The pan is between 150-200°C so if the leaves aren’t constantly turned, they can burn and ruin the tea. The result is these characteristic flat leaves that longjing has become famous for.
Chinese green tea vs japanese green tea
The pan firing process imparts a warmer, more nutty characteristic on the Chinese green teas.
There is actually a Japanese tea called Kamairicha that is still made using the traditional Chinese pan-firing method. It tastes closer to a Chinese green tea like longjing than a traditional sencha, with notes of toasted almonds, cashew and a hint of Nori.
If you want to try this rare tea from Miyazaki, you can find it on our website.
For the pan firing method, the tea leaves are often withered or air dried so that there is not too much moisture in the wok.
Origins of Longjing tea
All the famous Chinese teas come with their own origin story, and of course Longjing tea is no different.
Longjing is often said to be named after a mystical well near Longjing tea village, where villagers believed a dragon lived beneath the water and controlled rainfall.
After heavy rain, the tides would roll and curl resembling a twisting dragon.
The first Shifeng Longjing
Around the year 1000 CE, a monk named Bian Cai planted a tea seedling at Shifeng Mountain near Longjing Temple, now Longjing tea village. That tree became the ancestor of Shifeng Longjing tea.
Longjing tea during the Qing dynasty
The fame of this tea peaked during the Qing dynasty when the Qianlong Emperor visited the West Lake region in 1751 and personally picked tea leaves near a temple. He rushed these leaves back to Beijing when his mother fell ill.
According to the story, the tea helped restore her health, leading the emperor to declare Longjing an imperial tea and designate a small number of bushes as official imperial plants.
Longjing tea village hangzhou modern day
Today, the longjing tea village in Hangzhou still produces longjing tea 1,200 years later. The Longjing tea village sits in a protected tea-growing zone surrounded by terraced tea gardens, bamboo forests, temples, and mountain springs.
Its geography with sheltered hills, mineral-rich soil, gentle sunlight, and humid climate, creates ideal growing conditions for premium green tea.
Where is Longjing tea from in China?
Whether or not this story is true, the tea is still inextricably tied to longjing tea village and West lake in Zhejiang province, hence the name west lake longjing tea.
The West Lake Longjing (Xihu Longjing) is still the most celebrated thanks to the unique terroir and the history of this region and it commands the highest price.
Within West Lake itself, Longjing is sometimes broken down into smaller production zones like Lion’s Peak (shifeng longjing), Dragon Well, Cloud Dwelling, and Tiger Run, and each are said to produce slightly different expressions of the tea.
The terroir
This is thanks to the unique terroir of the region, with low rolling hills rather than towering mountains.
This creates a humid, misty microclimate with low temperature swings, moderating the speed of the tea plants growth.
Slower growing leaves have more time to develop flavor, leading to better quality.
The lake itself can also moderate the temperature, keeping the area cooler in the summer and warmer in the cold months.
Dragonwell or dragonwell style tea can be made elsewhere, but the price will be significantly lower.
Authentic Xihu longjing tea
Because west lake longjing green tea or Xihu Longjing tea is so expensive, it is often counterfeited. Many teas labeled ‘Longjing’ are Longjing-style teas from outside the West Lake region. True west lake longjing green tea can come with an enormous markup, although the difference in flavor may not be worth the premium.
Shifeng longjing tea
You may also see the tea be sold as shifeng longjing tea or shi feng longjing tea. This is a reference to the Shi feng (Lion’s Peak) mountain, a specific peak in the west lake region that resembles a lion resting in the sun.
Shi feng longjing tea can only be grown on the slopes of this mountain, and because of the unique soil and elevation it produces a specific flavor profile. If you remember the origin story earlier, this was the original microclimate where the first longjing tea seeds were planted.
Longjing tea price
So what is the longjing tea price? That depends on where it comes from! Authentic Xihu longjing green tea can easily be $1 per gram or more, whereas “longjing style” teas from other regions could be as cheap as $0.20 cents per gram. If a tea is being sold as Xihu longjing tea under $0.50 per gram, it is likely a counterfeit.
The xi hu longjing green tea brand has been built up over many years, and the premium comes from the fame and history of the region.
Dragon Well Cultivars
While all true teas come from the tea plant camelia sinensis, there are different sub varieties better suited for each tea.
Just like wine is broken up into varietals, tea is broken down into cultivars or tea plant varieties, and there are two in particular that are well-suited for dragon well longjing green tea.
If you want to learn more about how the tea plant is cultivated, you can read our article here.
Qunti Zhong Longjing
The original tea variety of this region is the Qunti Zhong. These are the ancient tea bushes that have been growing around this area of West Lake since the inception of this tea.
They produce the lowest yield, but deeper, more complex flavors.
Longjing 43
Longjing 43 is another cultivar that was selected recently, and although its leaves don’t command as high of a price, it still offers some advantages. This cultivar buds earlier and it offers leaves that are more consistent in color and shape.
Harvesting Longjing tea
When is longjing tea harvested? When it comes to Chinese green teas, you’ll see the word Qingming keep popping up. The qingming festival, which usually falls in early April, is a celebration to mark the beginning of warmer weather. In the tea industry, this is the cutoff for the finest Chinese green teas.
Chinese green teas, especially famous ones like Longjing, command a higher price if they were picked pre-qingming.
Why is Pre qingming longjing so important?
These spring leaves are considered to be the freshest and most nutrient dense. They were also harvested before the bug season, so the growers likely didn’t need to use any pesticides. Within Longjing, harvest timing matters as much as origin.
Mingqian Longjing is picked before Qingming and is the most delicate and expensive.
Yuqian Longjing is picked between Qingming and Guyu and offers a bit more body at a lower price. Later harvests are stronger and more bitter, but more affordable.
Similarities with Japanese teas
Although there is no qingming festival in Japan, the same principle applies to Japanese teas. That’s why we only look for sencha tea that is spring harvested at Nio Teas.
These spring picked teas are higher in nutrients and sweeter in flavor, because the plant has had all winter long to build up nutrients from the soil and release them into the leaves.
Tea plants can also be harvested in the summertime, but the tea plant won’t have as much time to replenish its nutrients and the flavor will be dull and more bitter. If you want to learn more about it, we made a complete guide to the Japanese tea harvest.
Picking Longjing
But how is longjing actually harvested? Premium longjing is made from either a bud and one leaf or a bud and two leaves.
These top leaves on the tea plant are the youngest and most nutrient dense. The more picky you are with the leaf selection, the lower your yield. This is why these carefully selected teas are the ones that command the highest price.
What to look for in Longjing
Longjing is a really easy tea to identify, both by looking at the leaves and by tasting them. The moisture content of these leaves has been reduced, which means the aromatics have been concentrated and this tea is ready to be infused. What you want to look for is a consistent color across the leaves.
Dark green doesn’t necessarily mean better, but it's more important to look for this uniformity. You want to find shorter leaves so you know the picking is finer, and you should also be looking for these buds.
How to brew longjing tea
To brew longjing tea, you will want to use a glass tea vessel, 3.5 grams of leaves and 100ml of water. You should brew the tea for no more than 3 minutes.
Why use glass?
Glass is preferred for Longjing because it showcases the leaves, moderates heat, and allows for gentle, even extraction, preserving the tea’s natural sweetness. Unlike clay, it’s also neutral so it won’t impart additional flavors into this subtle tea.
Best temperature
You can brew this tea at 80 degrees celsius so that you can extract plenty of flavor without too much bitterness. The reason we brew green teas below boiling is because they are higher in polyphenols and catechins, which can produce a bitter flavor in the tea.
Luckily, these bitter components require hotter water to extract, so by setting the temperature low we can keep them in the leaf and out of your cup.
Gong Fu style
If you’re brewing gongfu style, you can start with a 25 second infusion and add 5 seconds for each subsequent infusion.
This allows you to see each layer of the tea as it develops from light and aromatic to rich and heavy.
Benefits
Longjing tea is prized not only for its smooth, nutty flavor but also for its impressive health benefits.
Made from young tea buds, it is especially rich in antioxidants like catechins and vitamin C, which help combat oxidative stress and support overall wellness.
Longjing also contains a balanced amount of caffeine paired with L-theanine, delivering a calm, focused energy without the sharp spikes or crashes associated with coffee.
When enjoyed in moderation, it offers sustained alertness, mental clarity, and antioxidant support with minimal side effects.
Storing Longjing tea
Longjing is best consumed fresh. Over time, the nutty sweetness fades and the tea becomes flat or dull, so it’s best enjoyed within the year it’s harvested and stored away from heat, light, and air.
This is typical of a green tea, as these are meant to be an expression of these fresh spring-like aromas. We recommend to store your longjing green tea in an opaque, airtight container away from light, heat and humidity.
For more tips, you can check out our complete guide on How to Store Loose Leaf Tea - Before and After Brewing
Final Thoughts on Longjing Tea
So while there may not be a dragon lurking underneath west lake, this tea is well-deserving of its reputation. It produces a rich flavor that is unique in the world of green tea, and it has a rich tradition worth protecting.
Hopefully this article has helped clear up some of the myths surrounding this legendary tea. If you want to try any of the Japanese teas mentioned in this article, you can find them all on our website. After traveling around Japan for the past few years, we’ve met with dozens of different farmers and sampled hundreds of teas. We’ve ultimately selected a list of our favorites and we’d love to share them with you!
