Xihu Original Long Jing Green Tea Buds

Xihu Original Long Jing Green Tea Buds comes from the oldest Long Jing cultivar, which has maintained its original flavor from the Qing Dynasty to the present. Indeed, it remains one of the most sought-after and popular green teas in China: its delicate buds have a sweet vegetable aroma and notes of nuts and chestnut. This tea was harvested in Xihu, Zhejiang, in Meijiawu County, famous for its tea plantations overlooking the famous West Lake.

Tasting – Sight and smell

The leaves of this Xihu Original Long Jing Tea Buds green tea are small, with a characteristic flattened shape and a green-yellow color. If you look closer, you can see the presence on the buds of a thin layer of soft white fluff, protecting the most valuable part of the bud.
The brew smells of sweet vegetables and has notes of boiled chestnut and nuts with hints of toast. The liquor is a soft yellow, and in suspension on the surface are tiny particles of fluff. A velvety, light tea that warms the palate and the heart, with just a very slight astringency at the close and a good vegetal and boiled chestnut persistence.

Tasting Notes

GONG FU CHA
With the first brew, Xihu Original Long Jing Tea Buds green tea reveals a sweet and velvety character, with notes of almonds and nuts and vegetable tips reminiscent of sweet spinach and boiled carrots. The sweetness of boiled chestnut emerges decisively with the second infusion, and the vegetable hints, always very sweet, remain in the closing. Dried fruit notes return to dominate in the third infusion, along with an almost umami-like vegetable sweetness that recalls vegetables such as steamed zucchini.

WESTERN
The dried fruit in the opening is pleasant but not too intrusive; nuts and almonds slowly give way to fruity hints of boiled chestnut while the closing is vegetal, with hints of steamed vegetables (zucchini and carrots) that harmonize well with the sweet notes characteristic of this Xihu Original Long Jing Tea Buds green tea.

Place of origin

Xihu – Zhejiang, China

Infusion method

We strongly recommend infusing Xihu Original Long Jing Tea Buds green tea in the traditional Chinese method (Gong Fu Cha) with a gaiwan with a capacity of about 150 ml. By following this preparation, multiple infusions can be made with 5 grams of leaves that are useful to best capture all the flavor nuances of the tea.

Heat the water to a temperature of 75°C and proceed to an initial infusion of 25 seconds. Keeping the water at the same temperature, you can then continue to exploit the same leaves by adding more water and increasing the infusion time by 5 seconds each time (25 – 30 – 35…).

For a more classic preparation in the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 teaspoons) in a 200-mL cup with water at 75°C for an infusion time of 2-3 minutes.

For a better tasting experience, we suggest that you strain the infusion as soon as the brewing time is over. The brewing time recommendations, however, can also be slightly adjust by your personal taste in order to obtain a strong or more delicate cup of tea.

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

Green Tea benefits

Green Teas are always the most popular category when it comes to the health benefits of this beverage.

Compared with other types of tea, in fact, the young and tender leaves from which Xihu Original Long Jing Tea Buds green tea is made have a high concentration of useful molecules that are easily assimilated by our bodies.

The main benefits of green tea infusion come from the presence of antioxidants, amino acids, and caffeine. A daily dose of these three compounds could cut down the level of sugar in blood, slow the cellular aging process, and reduce the sense of fatigue through the day.

So, the Green Tea is surely positive for our health but it’s also suggest to not exaggerate the assumption of this beverage in order to prevent some unpleasant side effects of caffeine.