Longjing Shrimp (Longjing Xia Ren / 龙井虾仁) — Advanced Version
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province — West Lake culinary tradition
The most celebrated dish of Hangzhou cuisine: freshwater river shrimp stir-fried with first-flush Longjing (Dragon Well) tea leaves. The shrimp must be crystal-clear, barely-cooked, and the tea leaves wilted to jewel-green perfection. A dish that requires extraordinary technique: velveting the shrimp to achieve the signature crystalline texture, and wok technique that does not discolour the tea.