FoodieChat

Dragon Well Green Tea is one of the most well known and reputable brands in China.  Originating from Hangzhou, a city which is known for its beautiful West Lake, the tea is highly prized for its pure flavour, and health benefits.  Green tea has been shown to be high in antioxidants, which are said to reduce the risk of cancer.  It also is an excellent palate cleanser after a meal and also for me a detoxer.  It’s also said to aid in weight loss through speeding up your metabolism!  Well, medical research aside… the tea is grown in vast fields lining both sides of the road.  The beautiful, neatly groomed bushes grow to waist height and are in perfectly manicured rows.  Apparently, traffic is forbidden in the evenings, in order to reduce pollution in the tea.  Each leaf is handpicked by workers – and only the young buds. Painstaking work, which is why it is fairly expensive.  Next, it is dried again by hand, in a metal basin, and also sorted according to its quality. First grade costs 240 Yuan for 125g (ie A$40), second grade costs 120 Yuan (ie $20), and third grade costs 160 Yuan (ie $16.67) per 125g.  We were given the best grade to try at the shop, but only dared to buy the lower quality one, lest it get confiscated at customs!

The tradition is that if you are poured a full cup, it means “drink it and leave, you are not welcome”, but being poured half a cup means that you are welcome to stay as long as you like. You thank the pourer of the tea by tapping your index and third finger on the table 3 times near the cup, to say “Thank you very much”.  And the chinese say to come and “eat tea”, because the leaves are also edible.

This beautiful cup of tea was actually in the original shape of a ball approximately the size of a large macadamia nut (in the shell). When immersed in water, its petals gradually opened up, and a string of jasmine flowers floated up through the water. Beautiful!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 21st, 2007 at 12:57 pm and is filed under Asian, Eating out in Asia, Tea. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.