Long Jing (Dragon Well)
Green tea
4.7/5 · FindMeTea score
About this tea
Dragonwell (Longjing) is China's most celebrated green tea, renowned for its distinctive flat, smooth, sword-shaped leaves and its elegant chestnut-sweet flavor with toasty undertones. Grown in the mist-shrouded hills around Hangzhou's West Lake in Zhejiang Province, Dragonwell has been praised by Chinese emperors and poets for centuries. Its unique pan-firing technique produces a tea with a pale yellow-green liquor, a mellow nutty aroma, and a sweet, lingering aftertaste that is unlike any other green tea in the world.
How to brew: 75°C, 2 min, 2 g per cup.
Caffeine
Medium
How to brew
Flavor notes
sweet, nutty, smooth
Often associated with
Calm alertness, Clarity
Best time to enjoy
Mid-morning, Early afternoon
Tags
Where to find it in United States
Where to find it in United StatesNear Columbus
- Posh Teatime Co.Other Green tea
Columbus · Franklinton, West Broad Street
Jasmine Pearl Green Tea
from US$ 14.95· 4 oz
In storeOnline1273 W Broad Street, Columbus, OH 43222See the shop → - Chado Tea RoomThis tea
Los Angeles · Downtown (Little Tokyo) and Hollywood; also Pasadena, Torrance
Lung Ching (Dragon Well)
US$ 16.38· 4 oz
In storeOnline369 East 1st StreetSee the shop → - Tea CozyThis tea
Sacramento · R Street Corridor, inside ARTHOUSE
Dragon Well, organic
from US$ 9.20· 2 oz
In storeOnline1021 R Street, Sacramento, CA 95811See the shop → - The Tao of TeaThis tea
Portland · Belmont (SE Belmont St)
Dragonwell
US$ 14· 3 oz
In storeOnline3432 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97214See the shop → - Fusion TeasThis tea
McKinney · University Business Drive, north McKinney off US 75
Dragonwell Green Tea
US$ 15· 3 oz
In storeOnline1905 University Business Dr, Suite 604, McKinney, TX 75071See the shop →
Origin & Production
Authentic Dragonwell comes from the area surrounding West Lake (Xi Hu) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The most prized production zones are the five historical growing areas: Lion Peak (Shi Feng), Longjing Village, Five Cloud Mountain (Yun Qi), Tiger Spring (Hu Pao), and Meijiawu. The unique terroir — misty mountain air, acidic sandy soil, and moderate rainfall — creates conditions that no other region can fully replicate.
Production process
Pre-Qingming harvest
The most prized Dragonwell (Ming Qian) is picked before the Qingming Festival (around April 5). These earliest leaves are tiny, tender, and richest in amino acids. Later picks (Yu Qian, before April 20) are also valued but bolder in flavor.
Withering
Freshly picked leaves are spread in thin layers indoors for several hours to reduce moisture content and begin developing the characteristic aroma. This step is shorter than for oolong or black tea.
Hand pan-firing & pressing
Leaves are pressed by hand against the sides of a hot iron wok (typically 80–100°C) using 10 distinct hand movements perfected over centuries. This simultaneously halts oxidation, shapes the leaves flat, and develops the nutty, toasty flavor.
Sorting & finishing
After firing, leaves are sorted by size and quality, then given a final low-heat bake to stabilize moisture and fully develop the mellow chestnut aroma. Top grades are remarkably uniform in shape and color.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Tea fun facts
History & Tradition
Dragonwell has been revered in China for over 1,200 years and is one of China's Ten Famous Teas — a distinction that reflects both its extraordinary quality and its deep cultural significance.
Lu Yu's Classic of Tea
Tea sage Lu Yu mentions Hangzhou tea in his seminal work 'Cha Jing' (The Classic of Tea), the world's first tea monograph, establishing the West Lake area's reputation as a fine tea region.
Emperor Qianlong's endorsement
Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited Longjing Village multiple times and was so impressed that he designated 18 tea bushes at Lion Peak as 'Imperial Tea Trees.' These trees still stand today and are a tourist attraction.
State recognition
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Dragonwell is officially named a National Tea and served to visiting heads of state. It becomes China's most prestigious diplomatic gift tea.
Nixon's visit to China
During President Nixon's historic visit to China, Premier Zhou Enlai served him Dragonwell tea. This moment helped introduce Longjing to a global audience and cemented its status as China's representative green tea.
Geographic Indication protection
West Lake Longjing receives Geographic Indication (GI) protection, meaning only tea from the designated West Lake production area can legally be labeled 'Xi Hu Longjing,' protecting it from imitations.
What's in the cup
Amino acid richness
Pre-Qingming Dragonwell, picked before the early-April festival, is especially high in amino acids such as L-theanine. In the cup that reads as the sweet, brothy umami that sets the top grades apart from later pickings.
Catechins, kept by the pan
Pan-firing halts oxidation within hours of picking, so the leaf keeps its green-tea catechins (EGCG among them). You taste them as the fresh, faintly astringent edge under the chestnut sweetness — and you taste more of them the hotter you brew.
Caffeine: level 2 of 3
Dragonwell sits at level 2 of our 0–3 caffeine scale, the middle rung shared by most green teas. Our catalogue brews it at 2 g per cup, 75 °C, 2 minutes — cooler water than black tea, which keeps the sweetness forward.
The chestnut note comes from the wok
The flat, sword-shaped leaf is pressed and turned by hand against a hot pan. That contact is what gives Dragonwell its toasty, roasted-chestnut aroma — a note steamed Japanese greens never develop.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Brew better
Grades & Varieties
Xi Hu (West Lake) Longjing
The authentic Geographic Indication-protected grade, grown only in the five historical zones around West Lake. Flat, smooth, jade-green leaves with a mellow chestnut aroma and sweet umami flavor. The most prized and expensive Dragonwell.
Best for
- ✓Gongfu tea ceremony
- ✓Drinking straight
- ✓Special occasions
Qiantang Longjing
Grown in the greater Hangzhou area outside the West Lake zones but still within Zhejiang Province. Very good quality with similar flat-leaf processing, slightly more vegetal and less nuanced than Xi Hu grade, at a more accessible price.
Best for
- ✓Daily premium drinking
- ✓Gifting
- ✓First Dragonwell experience
Yuezhou Longjing
Produced in the Shaoxing area of Zhejiang. A more affordable option that still uses the flat-pressing technique but with leaves from different cultivars. Bolder, more astringent flavor — a solid everyday Dragonwell-style tea.
Best for
- ✓Everyday drinking
- ✓Introduction to Longjing
- ✓Value-oriented choice
Did you know?
Dragon Well tea was named after a village legend where a dragon in a well brought rain during a drought; in 2012, 500 g of top grade sold for more than gold.
Foods with this tea
What to Eat with Dragonwell Tea
Dragonwell's toasted chestnut sweetness and clean vegetal finish pair beautifully with light seafood, steamed dumplings, and delicate East Asian flavors.
Dragonwell Tea-Smoked Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Chicken thighs kissed with Dragonwell tea smoke, sliced thin and tucked into crisp lettuce cups with pickled vegetables and sesame.
Dragonwell Chestnut Financiers
Miniature French almond cakes infused with ground Dragonwell tea and chestnut flour—nutty, buttery, and impossibly tender.
- Free
- Sundays
- 2 min
Drink better tea, one Sunday at a time.
A fact for the table·A shop worth the trip·A better cup·Ritual & kit of the week·Tea recipes & drinks
Drinks with this tea
Dragonwell with Fresh Ginger, Honey and Lemon
Dragonwell brewed at 80°C with freshly grated ginger, raw honey and a thin slice of lemon—nutty, warm and lightly spicy in the morning.
Iced Dragonwell with Yuzu and Cucumber
Cold-brewed Dragonwell meets bright yuzu and cool cucumber for a spa-like iced tea that's crisp, clean, and endlessly refreshing.
Dragonwell Gin Smash
A botanical gin cocktail infused with Dragonwell tea, muddled with fresh basil and lime—herbaceous, nutty, and dangerously smooth.