Shi Feng Long Jing

This is the first plucked tea from seed-grown tea trees in Long Jing Village, renowned for its historical and high-quality reputation.

Shi Feng Long Jing - The Legendary Green Tea in China

Ever since tea was discovered, China has produced thousands of different green tea varieties. Among all Chinese green teas, Long Jing is second to none. Long Jing became famous because its production area is located very close to major cities. The tea garden of Long Jing is situated just beside Hangzhou city, one of the most developed cities in China. Additionally, the Long Jing production area is also very close to large cities such as Shanghai and Suzhou. The supply of Long Jing is very limited and seasonal, yet many people rave about this tea and always seek it out. It is indeed very famous and exclusive. In China, many other kinds of excellent green tea are produced in tea gardens located deep in the mountains. No matter how good their quality is, they could not be as famous as Long Jing since their production areas are too far from major cities.

The highest peak of Shi Feng Mountain is around 300m.

The real Long Jing production area is located deep inside, unlike other areas, and there are no tourists in this place.

Tea has always been used as a gift, especially for diplomatic missions. Green tea is highly esteemed because of its freshness. If the tea is produced from gardens situated far from big cities, it loses its freshness during the long journey and won’t be appreciated as much. This is why Long Jing produced near big cities is considered the top green tea, surpassing any other Chinese green tea.

Due to its fame, the demand for Long Jing has increased, and its production has spread to many other places besides Hangzhou. Nowadays, Long Jing is found in most provinces in China, and tea gardens in Taiwan and even India are producing Long Jing tea as well. Under these circumstances, the authentic Long Jing produced in historically famous areas is named after the production area. The most famous Long Jing in the commercial tea market is generally named Xi Hu Long Jing. It is produced in the tea garden situated near West Lake (Xi Hu) in Hangzhou. Among Xi Hu Long Jing, the most famous is Shi Feng Long Jing, renowned for its superb quality. This is the tea we are introducing.

Why is Shi Feng Long Jing the best? What is so good about this tea?

To answer these questions, we spent some time in Hangzhou and came up with the following findings.

We carry out manual inspection before packing: The leaf of Shi Feng Long Jing is a yellowish-green color. The Long Jing with a very bright green color is either made in another production area like Mei Jia Wu or from the second or third plucked tea leaves.

You can observe how small our Long Jing leaf is. The size is a very important criterion for judging the timing of plucking.

High-grade Long Jing may contain some white lumps. Many customers mistake these for spider webs or foreign material. In fact, it is the hair from the leaf bud itself. The young tea bud of the earliest upcoming spring crop is covered with tiny hairs. During the rolling process, these hairs come off the tea leaf and roll up into white balls. This is one of the quality indicators of Long Jing.

Shi Feng is the highest peak that produces Long Jing in the Xi Hu area

The altitude is an essential factor for quality tea. Tea gardens located at higher altitudes experience a significant temperature gap between day and night. The cold environment at night keeps the metabolism of the tea tree low, allowing the leaves to accumulate more substances and minerals to enhance their flavor and taste. The Shi Feng area is at an altitude of about 300m, whereas the rest of the tea gardens in the Xi Hu area are at an altitude of around 100m. However, some tea gardens in other provinces of China are located at much higher altitudes and also produce so-called Long Jing. But their Long Jing quality is not as good as Shi Feng Long Jing. Thus, altitude is not the primary factor contributing to the quality of Shi Feng Long Jing.

Seed Grown Tea

In Shi Feng Mountain, there are many different cultivars for making Long Jing. The most well-known cultivar is Long Jing No.43. This cultivar is famous because its sprouting season is 7-10 days earlier than other cultivars. In China, the earlier the Long Jing comes into the tea market, the better the selling price. Drinking the earliest harvested tea during spring is a customary culture that people are fond of. Therefore, cultivar No. 43 is highly appreciated by farmers because it can generate higher income. This has led many farmers to remove local native cultivars and replant cultivar No.43. Early plucking can be carried out because tea leaves grow faster. Just like vegetables cultivated in greenhouses to promote faster growth, this results in a thinner taste. Quality tea must be given sufficient time to grow slowly so that its flavor and taste become rich.

The most native tea in Long Jing village is seed-grown tea. It consists of a few types of hybrid cultivars due to random cross-breeding in history. It was the first generation of tea planted by the ancestors of the Long Jing area. Generally, seed-grown tea produces much longer roots than modern cultivars like Long Jing No. 43. Because of this, seed-grown tea has a greater ability to absorb minerals from the ground. Additionally, the growing rate of seed-grown tea is slower than modern cultivars, and the number of leaves is also lesser. As a result, the taste and flavor of the tea become much superior compared to modern cultivars.

Old Tea Trees: 老樹

Nowadays, only a limited number of old tea trees remain in Shi Feng Mountain, and these are mixed cultivars. Shi Feng Mountain might have been the first place where tea was planted in the history of Long Jing. Some tea trees are over 100 years old. Old trees have much stronger and longer roots than young trees. However, there are mixtures of old trees and newly planted cultivars such as Long Jing No. 43 in Shi Feng Mountain. To ensure we obtain the desired quality, we specify the type of tea tree from the highest altitude of the tea garden in Shi Feng Mountain. We even make reservations one year in advance to ensure we get the best quality material.

We did not intend to chase the fame of Shi Feng. Our selection happens to be Shi Feng after carefully investigating the essential factors that contribute to the quality of Long Jing. Due to its fame, the price for Shi Feng Long Jing is very high. In fact, Long Jing tea from the second and third plucking is much cheaper. The second and third plucked tea consists of bigger leaves in length, giving less depth in taste and flavor, yet it has an intense aroma and slight bitterness.

We solely selected the first plucked Long Jing from old trees of mixed cultivars planted at higher elevations in Shi Feng Mountain. This tea is suitable for customers looking for fame with equally prestigious quality.

History and Culture

The making of Long Jing dates back to 1,500 years ago. It is said that Long Jing was already recorded early in the Song Dynasty in the world’s first tea book, Cha-Jing (茶经, The Tea Scripture written by Lu Yu 陆羽). Once upon a time, it was named after mountains, such as 香林茶 (Xiang-lin-cha), 白云茶 (Bai-yun-cha), and 宝云茶 (Bao-yun-cha). Long Jing tea started to bloom during the Yuan (元) and Ming (明) Dynasties. It has been named Long Jing since the Song Dynasty. The name of Long Jing became well-known during the late Qing Dynasty (清代). It is said that during the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Qian-Long (乾隆) visited Shi Feng Mountain and was served a cup of Long Jing tea. He was very impressed with its beautiful appearance, elegant fragrance, and mellow taste. The monk who served the tea explained and brought him to the tea garden. At that time, 18 tea trees were planted. While the emperor was enjoying plucking the tea leaves, urgent news arrived that the Queen Mother had fallen ill, urging the emperor to return to the palace. When the emperor visited the ill Queen Mother, the strong fragrance of the tea leaves he kept in his pocket attracted the Queen Mother’s attention. Without a second thought, he served the tea to the Queen Mother, and she fell in love with its pleasant taste and flavor. After drinking the tea several times, the Queen Mother was cured. The Emperor was very grateful and granted the 18 tea trees in Shi Feng Mountain as the Imperial Tea Tree. Since then, Long Jing has become a tribute tea to emperors. Up to date, the 18 tea trees still remain in Shi Feng Mountain. Long Jing still holds its crown on the list of China’s Top Ten Teas. It has been appointed as the National Tea (国茶 Guo-cha) and is always selected as a gift tea served to foreign dignitaries. Year after year, tea connoisseurs endlessly seek it and compete to obtain the best Long Jing in the tea market. Its fame as the Queen of Green Tea is what every tea connoisseur is fond of.

Tea Growing Area

The original Long Jing is produced in Long Jing Village, situated at the shore of Xi Hu (西湖). Historically, Long Jing was produced from five different areas: Shi Feng Mountain (狮峰山), Mei-jia-Wu area (梅家坞), Weng-jia Mountain (翁家山), Yun-qi area (云栖), and Hu-pao area (虎跑). Today, Long Jing is categorized into four different groups: 狮 (Shi), 梅 (Mei), 西湖 (Xi Hu, meaning West Lake), and Long Jing from other places, called Zhejiang Long Jing (浙江龙井). The tea growing area is surrounded by fog throughout the year.

Tea garden with traditional mixed cultivars: The photo was taken at Shi Feng Mountain.

The name "獅峰" means Shi Feng.

Besides, the soil has a strong water-holding capacity and good penetrating character, which is important to retain sufficient moisture. Additionally, the soil is quartz sandstone, providing an acidic pH that is suitable for growing tea trees.

Plucking and Appearance

During early spring, one bud and one leaf, or one bud with two leaves (which just starts to open up, called 初展 Chu-zhan) is hand-plucked. The length of the bud is 2.5 – 3.0 cm. The length of the bud indicates the degree of delicacy (嫩度 Nen-du) of the tea leaves. Our product is the first grade; the length of brewed leaves, including the bud, is below 3cm. During early spring, one bud and one leaf, or one bud with two leaves (which just starts to open up, called 初展 Chu-zhan) is hand-plucked. The length of the bud is 2.5 – 3.0 cm. The length of the bud indicates the degree of delicacy (嫩度 Nen-du) of the tea leaves. Our product is the earliest plucked mixed cultivar. Thus, the length of brewed leaves, including the bud, is below 3cm. The plucking is carried out at the earliest possible time to harvest the young shoots. It is said that the best time to harvest the best quality of Long Jing is before 清明 (Qing Ming, occurring on April 4 (leap years) or April 5 (other years) of the Gregorian calendar). The product is named 明前茶 (Ming-qian Cha). Subsequently, tea harvested before Grain Rain (谷雨) is of considerably good quality; it is named 雨前茶 (Yu-qian Cha). In a day, even an expert can only manage to harvest as much as 1.0 - 1.5kg of young shoots. In any event, 0.5kg contains about 60,000 pieces of young shoots. Additionally, the tea leaves must be carefully selected during plucking:

1. Pluck the bud and leaf of the same size, in an even and orderly form.
2. Do not pluck together with the long stalk.
3. Do not pluck buds or leaves in purple color.
4. Do not pluck buds and leaves damaged by plant diseases.
5. Do not pluck the tiny leaf attached to the bud.

After plucking, the leaves are transferred to a cool indoor place. During sunny days, usually in the spring season, the tea leaves are spread out evenly to form a thin layer (3 – 5 cm) and left to wither for 6 – 12 hours without turning or mixing. If the leaves are plucked after the rain or carry lots of dew, the tea leaves are spread out to form a much thinner layer, then lightly turned and mixed 2 – 3 times. This must be done with care to avoid damaging the leaves (damaged leaves will turn red and affect the quality of the end product). During this period, the water content is vaporized from fresh leaves until it is reduced to about 70%. The spreading causes the leaves to emit a greenish grassy smell, reduce bitterness and astringency, and increase the relative concentration of amino acids, improving the briskness of its liquor. Besides, it helps to avoid the leaves becoming lumps during frying. It improves the quality of the tea made; the color remains a delicate green with a smooth and sleek appearance.

Mr. Kim and his wife. They produce Shi Feng Long Jing for us.

Most tea gardens on Shi Feng Mountain are situated in rocky environments.

Process - The tea maker's hand swollen like a grove

Withering

After plucking, the tea leaves are moved to a well-ventilated room. The tea leaves are spread in a layer of 3-5cm and left for 6-12 hours. This process reduces moisture to 70%. The tea leaves lose their greenish aroma and bitterness and increase the relative percentage of amino acids.

Pan Frying - Inactivation of Enzyme

The purpose of the first pan frying is to inactivate enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO) with heat and form the preliminary shape of Long Jing. With high temperature, it takes a very short time to heat the tea leaves and inactivate enzymes. When the temperature reaches 80-100˚C, place about 100 g of tea leaves into the pan, and fry by hand. Initially, the main hand-gesture is to grasp the leaves up to about 10 cm in height away from the pan and slowly sprinkle the leaves to vaporize the moisture from the leaves. After frying for 3 – 4 minutes, the leaf turns soft. By then, the hand-gesture is changed to put-over, press or hold down, shiver, and fling or throw off. Progressively increase the pressure by hand. This step is important to form the preliminary shape of Long Jing. The leaves are straightened into narrow-shaped strips and flattened. The skillful tea master has to carefully manage the timing of action and pressure induced by hand: too much pressure, incorrect hand motion, and if pressed too soon, the tea leaves become dark in color; on the other hand, if leaves are not straightened and flattened, it indicates that the hand pressure applied is insufficient and/or the pressing is carried out too late. After frying for 12 – 15 minutes, when the moisture content of leaves is reduced to 20-30%, remove the leaves from the pan.

Cooling

The fried leaves are spread out to 15 – 20 cm and cooled down for about 40 - 60 minutes. At this time, the leaf reabsorbs moisture and softens (called 回潮 Hui-chao). After cooling, the softened leaves are winnowed to remove broken and light pieces of leaves, and hand-sorted to get rid of dull, burnt, yellow pieces, red colored leaves and stalks, stalks that are too long, and any foreign materials. Subsequently, the sorted leaves are sifted to obtain the first batch of leaves that are retained on the top sifter, while the leaves that pass the sifter are collected and sifted again to obtain the second batch retained on the sifter and third batch, i.e., leaves pass the sifter. These three different batches of leaves will be processed for second frying separately.

Second Pan Frying - Forming the shape and drying

The purpose of the second pan-frying is to form the shape and further remove moisture. Usually, about 4-5 batches of tea leaves from the first heating are gathered together and proceed for the second heating. The collected leaves are about 250g in total. The initial temperature of the pan is about 60 – 80˚C; fry the leaves until they are heated up and softened, and down reveal (露茸毛 Lu-rong-mao), then increase the temperature to 80 – 90˚C, and continue frying. When the down drops and leaves are tightened up to flat and smooth strips, the temperature is reduced to 50˚C. During frying, the pressure induced by hand is gradually increased. It involves the hand action of put-over, buckling, rubbing, pressing, and pushing. The gist of the matter is the leaves must always be in contact with the hands, and the tea leaves should not be away from the pan. Toasting is continued until the down drops from the leaves, and the leaf becomes flat, smooth, and sleek. When the leaves emit their own fragrance and can easily fracture, and the moisture content is reduced to 5 – 6%, the frying is then sufficient. It takes 25 minutes of frying in total.

Storage of Tea

Keep tea away from moisture

Once a bag of tea is opened, please finish it within 3 months to enjoy its freshness. From a medical point of view, it is safe to consume the tea even if kept for a few years. However, the freshness disappears if it is kept for too long. Tea must be tightly sealed before storage. Tea should be kept in ambient and dry conditions such as in the living room but away from humidity. Tea should not be kept in the kitchen as the environment is very humid. Avoid enclosed areas such as inside the cupboard or drawer as these places are damp. Also, avoid opening the bag of tea in a humid atmosphere. It is recommended to open the bag on a sunny day or under air-conditioned conditions. Once tea leaves absorb moisture, deterioration will occur within a few days, giving an astringent taste, sometimes tasting sour, and the fresh flavor will weaken.

Beware of keeping the tea in the fridge

The quality of tea lasts longer if kept in the fridge. However, we strongly recommend not to keep tea in the fridge. When tea is withdrawn from the fridge, condensation usually occurs. Once tea is exposed to moisture during condensation, the quality will deteriorate within a few days. The higher moisture content in the tea leaves will trigger oxidation, completely destroying the quality of the tea.

Here's one frequently asked question: What happens if the bag is sealed with tape or the tea is packed in a zipper bag and kept inside the fridge?

For your information, these simple sealing methods are insufficient. When the bag is withdrawn from the fridge, it is cold inside the bag, causing negative pressure. Air will be drawn from outside, and condensation will occur. Additionally, if the bag is taken in and out of the fridge frequently, it will cause heat stress to the tea leaves as the temperature fluctuates. If tea is kept in the fridge, it must be left in ambient conditions for more than 24 hours to warm up the tea leaves. Based on our experience, 12 hours is not long enough. We may think the tea is warmed up, but inside the bag, the tea leaves are still cold due to the insulation effect.