Longjing — Dragon Well Green Tea (龙井茶)
Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province — West Lake district
China's most celebrated green tea, produced in the hills surrounding Hangzhou's West Lake. The flat, jade-green leaves are pan-fired in a bare wok (chao qing) using bare hands to halt oxidation — the wok temperature and hand pressure create the characteristic flat shape and toasty-sweet character. The highest grade, Ming Qian (before Qingming Festival, April 5), is harvested and processed within days — a matter of weeks defines the most expensive batches.