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December 25, 2004
Dragon Well Green Tea
Name: Dragon Well Green Tea
Kathy's Rating: 7.5/10.0
Company: Ten Ren
Origin of tea: China
Price: ~$10/4oz (113.4g)
Tea form: Loose green tea
What they say: Ten Ren's First Grade Dragon Well is a good Dragon Well Green tea. This grade uses tender tea leaves picked during spring.
Preparation method: A steeping time of 1 to 2 minutes with about 70°C/160°F water is recommended, with an additional 15 seconds for each successive infusion. Use about 1 tablespoon (3 grams) of tea leaves for about every 5 ounces (150 ml) of water.
Review: 'Dragon Well' is a special name for green tea that originates from the West Lake area of Hangzhou, China. Compared to other green tea varieties, Dragon Well is more full-bodied and complex than most. However, in keeping with the character of green tea, it is still mild compared with say, black teas. This tea almost imparts a taste of the Chinese mung bean - which is used to make desserts such as ice cream and sweet fillings for buns.
My sister-in-law told me an amusing story about Dragon Well tea. She was part of a tour group in China visiting the West Lake region, and their Chinese tour guide warned them about buying Dragon Well tea from the vendors in the area. The warning was that some unscrupulous vendors may pick leaves off of the willow trees nearby, and sell them as Dragon Well green tea. But, the tourists could be spared of such an experience by only buying the tea from a specific factory that the tour guide will take them to. It turns out that the tour guide gets a hefty commission from the factory for bringing all the tourists to buy tea there.
Posted by Kathy at December 25, 2004 03:43 PM