• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Life is Better with Tea
  • Learn Tea
    • eBooks
  • Tea Recipes
  • Buy Tea
  • Tea Business
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Learn Tea
    • eBooks
  • Tea Recipes
  • Buy Tea
  • Tea Business
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Learn Tea
      • eBooks
    • Tea Recipes
    • Buy Tea
    • Tea Business
    • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Learn » What Is Chinese Dragon Well Tea?

    What Is Chinese Dragon Well Tea?

    Published: Feb 5, 2020 · Modified: Jun 7, 2022 by Mary Ann Rollano · 3 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

    322 shares

    Dragon Well tea is the most famous green tea in China. Long Jing or Lung Ching is the Chinese name for this green flat-leaf tea. Discover why this Dragon Tea tea is so well-loved.

    chinese dragon well dried leaves in a cup

    There's no mistaking the buttery yellow liquor of this tea. Dragon Well (Long Jing) Chinese green tea with its flattened spear-like leaves opens up to reveal two leaves when brewed. One of China's best and most well-known teas. It tastes a little like toasted nuts with some vegetal notes.

    If you don't like green tea, you haven't tried Dragon Well tea. It will transform your love for green tea. Here's why.

    Common Names: Dragon Well, Long Jing, Longjing, Lung Ching (Chinese Dragon Tea)

    Profile: Pale yellow liquor. Soft, rich, toasty, with a chestnut aroma. Vegetal sweetness.

    Region: Hangzhou in the West Lake region of Zhejiang province of China.

    Dry leaf: Flat leaf or bird's peak bud sets, smooth and slick to the touch.

    What is Dragon Well Tea?

    Dragon Well is one of China's ten most famous teas. It's a pan-baked tea over hot woks. The leaves are flattened during the heating process. Longjing, which translates as dragon well, must be grown in China's Zhejiang province to be authentic. Much like champagne, if it is grown anywhere else, it is not genuine.

    Long Jing is a spring tea picked in early April, following Qing Ming, the traditional Chinese holiday for paying respects to their ancestors. Qing Ming falls fifteen days after the Spring Equinox, usually the first week in April.

    This day, in Chinese tea culture, divides the fresh green tea by their picking dates. Any tea picked before this date is called Pre Qing Ming and is very expensive. Pre Qing Ming tea is also called Imperial Long Jing.

    dragon well dry leaf up close

    How Do You Brew Dragon Well Green Tea?

    Use 6 grams of tea leaf for a 30-ounce teapot—about 4 grams for a 16-ounce cup and 2 grams for an 8-ounce cup. Use a water temperature of 185° F (85°C).

    • Recommended brewing in a small teapot, clear insulated glass, or gaiwan.
    • Pour water over tea leaves in a circular motion so the heat of the water will be even over the tea leaves. Tea leaves can be reused multiple times.
    • First infusion: 2-3 minutes. Second infusion 3- 5 minutes. Subsequent infusions can be longer depending on how strong you like your tea.
    • Always pour water slowly and in a circle on high-end green tea. You can see the leaves start to drop after about 2 minutes. The liquor becomes pale fresh green.
    • If you want to make it stronger, wait until the color is richer. If your pot has a filter, you can remove it when your tea is strong enough.
    • If you are preparing in a cup or glass, you can drink straight from your cup without removing the tea leaves once they settle to the bottom. Your tea will never go bitter with quality green tea.
    • You can drink straight from your cup after two minutes when all the leaves sink to the bottom of your cup.
    • Leave about one-fifth of your tea in your cup or pot before making your next infusion. You can reuse the same serving of tea leaves at least three-four times.

    I prefer brewing in my clear insulated glass. It allows you to see the beauty of the leaf and the color of the liquor while brewing. It comes with a glass steeper to easily remove the brewed leaves and a lid.

    dragon well tea leaves brewing in glass

    What does Dragon Well tea taste like?

    Dragon Well tea has a fresh, snap-pea and slightly chestnut fragrance. It has a toasty smooth flavor with delicate nutty notes. It's never astringent or bitter-tasting when brewed correctly. The lightly roasted, subtle flavor reminds me of a little bit of a meadow.

    Related:

    • Tea Lover's Guide to The Best Green Tea
    • 10 Best Online Tea Shops
    • How to Drink Green Tea Every Day
    • Why Drinking Tea Every Day Improves Health and Happiness

    Authentic Dragon Well tea has a signature chestnut aroma - an easy way to authenticate legitimate Long Jing tea. It stands up to multiple brews and does better with short brew times. It's one of my favorite green teas.

    What is Dragon Well tea good for?

    Long before our beloved tea was a beverage, it was used as a medicine and a culinary flavoring.

    • Cooking Tip:

    Did you know you can baste your roast with leftover tea?

    Dragon Well is perfect with a roasted chicken. Add the tea to the pan at the beginning of the cooking time. Baste the roast with the tea mixed in with the cooking juices. It couldn't be any easier. 

    • Culinary Pairing:

    Dragon Well has a nutty quality with little astringency and pairs well with many kinds of cheese, such as Camembert or Brie. You might want to try pairing it with Gruyere, one of my favorite cheeses. It's lovely.

    Dragon Well also pairs nicely with fruits, custards, and seafood. To learn more about tea and food, you might want to read Culinary Tea by Cynthia Gold. If you love tea and love cooking, this book is a must-have.

    Although I've yet to try it, Cynthia even advocates steeping Dragon Well in vodka.

    • Downtime:

    Are you craving a little downtime? That's why I love rainy days. It's an excuse to take it slow.

    The fresh sweet fragrance of the rain with its soft pattering sound makes it a perfectly relaxing day for cocooning, drinking Dragon Well tea, and taking in a good read.

    Dragon Well Tea Benefits

    Scientific research supports the role of tea in improving health.

    • In 2014 an analysis of 13 studies indicated that green tea consumption significantly lowers blood pressure. Source.
    • Tea may improve blood vessel function, lower blood pressure, and reduce stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular diseases by 10%.
    • Drinking tea may help mitigate the harmful effects of high-fat meals on blood vessel function. The most recent study published in the Journal of Food Science in February 2018 showed that polyphenols could negate the harmful effects of a high-fat diet on your intestinal (gut) flora in green tea.
    • Drinking several cups of green tea daily may help burn 100 calories a day. The same study suggests obesity and metabolic disorder associated with high-fat diets may be supported by green tea.
    • Tea has anticancer properties: Men who drank more than 1.5 cups of green tea per day had a 70% lower colon cancer risk.

    Sources: Linus Pauling Institute, Fifth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health, Teausa.com

    Does Dragon Well tea have caffeine?

    • Caffeine Content:

    According to the Tea Advisory Panel, tea has about half the caffeine as coffee, about 50 mg per cup.

    One specific study on Long Jing Shi Feng (Dragon Well) found that 5 grams (⅙ ounce) steeped at 185° F (85°C) for 4.5 minutes contains 48 mg of caffeine. Source.

    • Theanine:

    It's also important to know that high-grade Dragon Well tea contains theanine, an excellent calming effect that naturally balances the caffeine. The caffeine in tea does not leave you with that jittery feeling.

    Where to Buy Dragon Well Tea

    I prefer to buy tea in person where I can taste the teas before I buy them. But with specialty teas, that's not always possible, so I purchase from some of my favorite online tea shops.

    You'll find some excellent offerings of Dragon Well tea from some of my favorite go-to tea merchants:

    • The Tea Spot
    • TeaVivre
    • Palais Des Thes
    • Adagio

    Drink tea and be well.


    Tea for Beginners Start Here >>

    « 20 Best Kept Tea Secrets of All Time
    50 Tea Quotes To Inspire You To Be A Better Person »

    About Mary Ann Rollano

    Mary Ann is a 3x award-winning tea specialist, nurse, and author of Life Is Better With Tea - introducing tea drinkers to the world of specialty tea, herbs, and wellness. Click here for your FREE Tea Guide.

    Easy Tea Recipes, Brewing Tricks & Special Discounts

    Enter your email for a chance to WIN a Tea Lovers Bundle!

    Recent Articles

    • Gyokuro-teaUltimate Guide to The Famous Japanese Gyokuro Tea of Emperors
      Your complete guide to Gyokuro, the highest grade […]
    • Close up of a hand pouring cream into a cup of steaming hot decaffeianted tea against a dark background with light coming from behind.3 Ways Decaffeinated Tea is Produced And The Benefits
      Decaffeinated tea must go through a process to […]
    • Traditional afternoon tea served with sconesHow Is The Best Afternoon Tea Different Than High Tea?
      Afternoon Tea is a meal served on a three-tiered […]
    • hojicha tea poured into white cupSencha and Hojicha: Two of The Best Everyday Japanese Teas
      Sencha's outstanding sweet, fresh green flavors […]

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brooke Wahlen

      April 07, 2021 at 11:31 am

      We’ve got a comprehensive guide on the amazing, science-backed health benefits of green tea here. In a nutshell, green tea contains unique polyphenols called catechins.

      Log in to Reply
    2. precious

      January 16, 2021 at 4:04 pm

      Thanks for this article. I have just ordered mine and hope it helps with lowering my BP

      Log in to Reply
    3. Aditii

      February 11, 2020 at 5:42 am

      They are amazing article for tea related. Dragon Well is the most famous green tea . Thanks for sharing this information.

      Log in to Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Mary Ann, an award-winning tea expert, retired registered nurse, and author writing tips on all types of tea and herbs. I show you all the benefits of tea - nutrition, medicine, and an abundance of culinary joy.

    I believe tea is more than a beverage; it's a lifestyle. Tea calms the mind and soothes the spirit. If you want to live well, start by drinking tea.

    Here I show you how to select quality loose leaf teas, how to make tea for the best flavor, and create tea recipes. Experience a lifestyle change of wellness through the beauty of tea.

    More about →

    Popular

    • 15 Best Online Tea Stores 2022
    • World of Tea Book Review
    • 10 Best Tea Books To Make You An Expert
    • How to Make Insanely Delicious Iced Strawberry Tea

    Trending

    • Ultimate Guide to The Famous Japanese Gyokuro Tea of Emperors
    • 3 Ways Decaffeinated Tea is Produced And The Benefits
    • How Is The Best Afternoon Tea Different Than High Tea?
    • Sencha and Hojicha: Two of The Best Everyday Japanese Teas

    Guides

    • Tea Guide
    • eBooks

    Footer

    ↑ back to top


    Tea Guide Newsletter

    Get Easy Tea Recipes, Brewing Tricks, and Special Tea Discounts

    Subscribe Here

    Tea Education

    Beginners Guide

    eBooks

    Quick Links

    About

    Press

    Contact

    Privacy Policy

    Disclaimer

    As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Life Is Better With Tea