The West Lake Tea Region
The unique name of this Chinese green tea traces back to an ancient village called ‘Dragon Well,’ situated southwest of the ‘West Lake’ in Hangzhou. This picturesque lake, cherished by both Chinese and international tourists for its tranquil charm, symbolizes Hangzhou, China. Surrounded by pagoda-topped hills and stunning bridges, West Lake is often regarded as a representation of classical Chinese beauty.
South of this iconic lake lies one of China’s most renowned tea regions, named after West Lake itself. This region encompasses five famous Dragon Well villages where the original local tea is produced for over a thousand years. Our artisan Dragon Well tea is sourced directly from small family farms in the Mei Jia Wu village. The other 4 villages are Shifeng, Yunxi, Hupao, and Longjing.
Harvest period
West Lake Dragon Well tea is renowned for four exceptional qualities: its emerald green color, aromatic flavor, beautiful appearance, and refreshing taste. The harvest period for Dragon Well tea is a brief six weeks and starts around the end of March. The finest quality teas are produced in the first two weeks. Once the fresh tea leaves are picked in the morning, they must be air dried in the shadow and hand-roasted on the same day. Roasters use their bare hands to gauge the heat and dryness of the leaves accurately. After roasting, the tea leaves are left to cool before being sealed in bags to preserve their freshness.
Dragon Well Tea Taste
The classic Dragon Well teas encompass a spectrum of flavors, from the savory and robust notes of toast and nuts to the refreshing and delicate hints of fresh beans. The tea available on this page is characterised by a nuttier profile, while our premium Longjing tea offers a more refreshing bean-like aroma.
Caffeine & Health Benefits
The caffeine content of Dragon Well tea is approximately half that of typical Chinese black tea, thanks to its lower recommended steeping temperature. Its freshness makes it exceptionally rich in antioxidants, which help improve skin, provide anti-inflammatory benefits, and reduce the risk of common diseases.
How to brew Dragon Well tea
This green tea can be prepared in different ways from traditional gongfu brewing to western brewing. If you want to prepare this tea in a large teapot, we recommend to steep 3 grams of tea with 500ml of water at 80ºC (175°F)for 1 minute. The same tea leaves can be steeped for at least another time. For the second steep you may apply a 1.5 to 2 minute steeping time.
For gongfu tea sessions, you may infuse 5 grams of tea in 100ml of hot water for up to 20 seconds and gradually increase the steeping time for every next steep. Apply the same steeping temperature of 80ºC (175°F).
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