tea
estate
West Lake Longjing Yuqian Spring Grade A
Zhejiang, China
About this product
Yuqian (雨前, before Grain Rain) Longjing is harvested between Qingming (April 5) and Grain Rain (April 20) — the second-grade picking that follows the Mingqian. While not as rare as Mingqian, high-quality Yuqian from the West Lake zone is a genuinely exceptional green tea offering more body and depth than the bud-only Mingqian while retaining the signature chestnut and spring grass character. This is the everyday working grade of West Lake Longjing — still from the protected zone, still pan-fired by hand, but more accessible in price.
The deductive profile Library
styleChinese pan-fired green tea
originWest Lake Longjing zone, Hangzhou, Zhejiang
harvest gradeYuqian (pre-Grain Rain)
leaf standardbud + 1-2 leaves
Service
vesselglass or porcelain gaiwan
infusions3
brew temp c75°C
steep time first90 seconds
leaf to water ratio3-4g per 150ml
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Pairings
complement
casual
Yuqian Longjing bridges the spring bamboo shoot; a Hangzhou tradition of cooking the new shoot with the new-picked tea
classic
main
complement
vegetables
The famous dish uses Longjing leaves in the wok; serving the tea beside the dish is the authentic Hangzhou experience
classic
main
complement
food
West Lake Longjing and mooncake are China's most iconic pairing during the Mid-Autumn Festival
classic
casual
complement
dimsum
Longjing is the traditional Hangzhou tea for dim sum yum cha; Yuqian provides more body than Mingqian for this function
classic
casual
complement
seafood
This dish IS the Longjing pairing — shrimp cooked with the same tea leaves; perfect terroir unity
classic
fish_course
elevate
seafood
The tea is used both as beverage and ingredient; drinking Longjing while eating it creates a closed flavour loop
classic
fish_course
cleanse
pastry
A neutral cracker serves as a between-infusion cleanse that resets the palate for next cup's slightly different character
established
any
contrast
cheese
Spring Longjing's chestnut-butter character with mild Swiss: a light East-West contrast pairing
adventurous
casual