Visit to Longjing Tea Plantation
I have heard of the famous Longjing Tea Plantation of Hangzhou, but was not so keen to pay a visit, as I wondered what would be so exciting about some tea bushes. Reluctantly I agreed to go along for a visit to the tea plantation and museum of Hangzhou and boy! did I get a good education on tea!
It turned out that Longjing tea is the imperial tea of China, blessed by the emperor of the Sung Dynasty. In fact 18 tea bushes were branded Imperial tea and were fenced, and heavily guarded. The tea leaves from these bushes are strictly reserved for the head of states of China and visiting dignitaries.
The mountainous plantation is dreamlike in its setting, and true enough, the tea has a refreshing taste quite unlike anything else. It has been branded a beauty tea, and a health drink, and is scientifically proven.
Here is a video clip explaining the wonders and history behind longjing tea.
My friend and I went shopping for longjing tea afterwards. We didn’t want to buy from the museum, as the price tends to be higher. It turned out that there are several kinds of longjing tea.
1. Baby tea leaves – most expensive (hand picked)
2. Before the rain tea leaves – picked within 10 days before the Jingming festival (usually around first week of April) again these are handpicked.
3. After the rain tea leaves
4. Mature tea leaves
The best would be the spring baby tea leaves. Tea shops will let you try these teas out for comparison. I was sold after the experience. Only Longjing tea for me, and I am willing to pay the price. I calculated that I paid the equivalent of $10 US for 100 grams of “Before the rain” tea leaves and this would make 60 to 100 cups. Not bad for the best tea of China that is fit for an emperor!
This is how the tea leaves look, and the paler the color, the more superior the leaves.
Filed under: My Travels
I understand that Longjing tea is a type of green tea. The best green tea experience I had was when I was served green tea on Japan Airlines. The tea has a distinct green color that I have never seen before, and the taste is wonderful. I later found out that it is called Sencha tea, grown in the Kyoto region of Japan. This must be one of the top 10 teas in the world alongside with Longjing tea.
A few years ago, my friend was given Longjing tea from a supplier in China on her overseas business trip. It was a box of five – 100g tin cans. She thought they were just ordinary tea, and she gave them away, because she wanted to fill her suitcase with the cheap clothes and shoes she bought from her shopping spree. I think all Longjing tea in China should come with English brochures and explanations if they are intended as gifts to non-Chinese speakers. Without understanding the history, one cannot appreciate these tea leaves.