Dragonwell

Pan-fired, Chinese green tea. The name refers to a benevolent dragon of old legend said to have brought rain to farmers.

The flat, smooth leaves of Lung Ching – which smell toasty and buttery on the nose – are the result of the freshly picked tea being pressed into hot, fired pans to halt oxidation. When steeped, this Dragonwell has a silky texture with a mild astringency and medium-long finish in the mouth. The color is faintly yellow-green. The flavor is savory, but not grassy, with a bit of umami and acid. And the aroma is both nutty and vegetal. From Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China.