Xihu Longjing 西湖龙井 - Original cultivar, Pre-Qingming

The original Longjing cultivar Quntizhong 群体种, whose roots go back to Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911). Emperor Qianlong (1735 - 1796) was particularly fond of this tea, so as to preserve 18 plants of Longjing in his garden for his exclusive use.
This tea, made of only the delicate unripe buds and the first apical leaves - what the Chinese call yi ya yi er ye 一芽一二叶, literally one bud with one or two leaves - is a higher prized level, fit for an emperor. They were plucked in the Pre-Qingming period, Mingqian 明前 in Chinese, that is before the 4th or 5th of April, making it the most precious harvest.

Our selection comes from the production of Master Shu, who was born in Anhui province and moved to Xihu as a young apprentice, where he matured 20 years of experience in tea manufacture. The liquor of this tea has a delicate green shade that shines of golden hues, disclosing the most creamy and mellow taste, rare and precious. Sweet fruity notes open in the palate, leaving in the mouth the typical fresh and delicate vegetal taste and a long-lasting hint of chestnuts that comes from the pan-frying shaqing, and characterizes this ancient tea.

Origin: Meijiawu village, Xihu (West Lake) district, Hangzhou city, Zhejiang Province
Altitude: 800 m asl
Flush: March 25th 2024, Pre-Qingming 明前
Producer: Master Shu
Format: 25 gr. (0.88 oz) loose leaves
Storage:  the leaves can be stored in their original package or in ceramic vases. Avoid heat, light, and moisture.

Infusion Parameters

Eastern Brewing

Quantity: 1 gr. of tea every 30 ml of water
Brewing time: Begin with a 30-second brew. Increase with each successive brew as needed. 
Water temperature: 75-80°C
Number of brews: 4-5

Western Brewing

Quantity: 1 gr. of tea every 100 ml of water
Brewing time: 2:30 minutes
Water temperature: 75-80°C

Cold Brew

Quantity: 1 gr. of tea every 100 ml of water
Brewing: put the tea leaves in room temperature water and steep for 6-7 hours. Filter the liquor and drink within 24 hours.