"Michael Plant" wrote in message
...
Samar,

Could you say more about the various Long Jins? I'm curious about the
"43"
part. Are there many different varietals, or sub-varietals? Are they
relatively new? Is there an old "traditional" varietal, which is
considered
classical, and from which the others derive? How can I know which of the
sub-varietals I'm drinking? And so on.

Thanks.

Michael


Certainly, Michael.

There are several cultivars that can be made into Longjing, the most widely
used a

1. C. sinensis cv. Longjing 43
2. C. sinensis cv. Longjing-changye
3. C. sinensis cv. Longjingzhong
4. C. sinensis cv. Pinyang-tezaocha
5. C. sinensis cv. Xiapu-yuanxiaolü

The 1st 4 are from the Zhejiang province, but the 5th was from Fujian
province, and cultivated in northern Zhejiang. I understand that there are
cultivars in Yunnan being tested as Longjing - I guess this is the ripple
effects of market demands for the renown teas in China that the farmers also
want to jump on the wagon for a piece of the pie, so they put their teas to
the test and see if it fool buyers and secure a niche for themselves. The
sad low down on this is that the consumer will be confused for the varying
flavours and qualities of a tea...

The only way to determine which varietals you are drinking, is to look for
the physical evidences...

Lonjing 43 - leaf: oval shape, colour: deep green, blade: waxy, smooth &
flat, leaf margin: slightly wavy with dense but shallow serration, leaf
apex: tapers gradually,

Lonjing-changye - leaf: long oval shape, colour: bright green, blade: smooth
& slightly undulated, leaf margin: wavy with fine dense serration, leaf
apex: tapers gradually.

Longjingzhong - this is a collective varietal - leaf: long oval, oval and
few round shapes, colour: usually bright green, blade: smooth & slight
undulated, leaf margin: slightly wavy with dense fine serration, leaf apex:
gradual tapers, rounded apex.

Xiapu-yuanxiaolü - leaf: long oval,, colour: bright green, blade: waxy,
surface slightly raised, leaf margin: slightly wavy with blunt & shallow
serration, leaf apex: gradual tapers.

Besides the Longjingzhong varietals, the other 4 varietals were found pretty
recently, in the last 50 years or less.

Hope this answers your queries?

Samar