I was making Long Jing this morning and noticed (sorry if this is common
knowledge) that it seems to require a bit higher temp (around 175-180) than
some of my other greens, like Snow Monkey, to open up and start
infusing...and the long jing I have at the moment, from Holy Mountain, is a
flat seemingly rolled or pressed tea...now sencha is similar in shape but is
cut and steamed and I don't think it's rolled or compressed, and sencha
likes lower temps than the above in my experience. Long jing reminds me of
cedar needles, it's got that long flat quality. I guess the higher temp
makes sense since long jing is more compact than a fluffy tea would be.

Any other experiences or thoughts? This is fine hair splitting but it makes
a big difference to the taste in my experience. Some teas like the little
higher temp for short or medium steeps and others like the lower temps for
short steeps and some like the longer low temp steeps...it's interesting to
coax out each individual tea's preferences.

Melinda

--
"The country has entered an era in which
questions are not asked, for questions are
daughters of disquiet or arrogance, both
fruits of temptation and the food of sacrilege." Djaout

In article >,
"Melinda" > wrote:

> I was making Long Jing this morning and noticed (sorry if this is common
> knowledge) that it seems to require a bit higher temp (around 175-180) than
> some of my other greens>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hi Melinda......i've found that different longjings require different
treatment, which does stand to reason. fact is, i sometimes
adjust temps during the time of possessing a tea, ie, start
out at one temp, and maybe have to change it a bit a month
or two down the road as the tea 'ages'. greens are very
finicky, most of them, as it appears you are discovering......p*

"pilo_" > wrote in message
...

>
> Hi Melinda......i've found that different longjings require different
> treatment, which does stand to reason. fact is, i sometimes
> adjust temps during the time of possessing a tea, ie, start
> out at one temp, and maybe have to change it a bit a month
> or two down the road as the tea 'ages'. greens are very
> finicky, most of them, as it appears you are discovering......p

Wow, now that's very interesting. I had not been keeping track closely
enough to notice a change over time in the same tea...It makes sense though.
I'll have to pay attention. Thanks for sharing pilo!

Melinda

With my longjing, I usually just do the glass cup method of brewing;
meaning I seldom remove the leaves from the water. The water temp I
usually choose is a little bit lower for my longjing, but I'm sure it
can differ by where you got the leaves. If the water is too hot at
first, as long as it doesn't scald the leaves totally, when the water
cools you can still get good results from that brew, I think.

3/16/05

> I was making Long Jing this morning and noticed (sorry if this is common
> knowledge) that it seems to require a bit higher temp (around 175-180) than
> some of my other greens, like Snow Monkey, to open up and start
> infusing...and the long jing I have at the moment, from Holy Mountain, is a
> flat seemingly rolled or pressed tea...now sencha is similar in shape but is
> cut and steamed and I don't think it's rolled or compressed, and sencha
> likes lower temps than the above in my experience. Long jing reminds me of
> cedar needles, it's got that long flat quality. I guess the higher temp
> makes sense since long jing is more compact than a fluffy tea would be.
>
> Any other experiences or thoughts? This is fine hair splitting but it makes
> a big difference to the taste in my experience. Some teas like the little
> higher temp for short or medium steeps and others like the lower temps for
> short steeps and some like the longer low temp steeps...it's interesting to
> coax out each individual tea's preferences.
>
> Melinda


Melinda,

Long Jing is an super-famous tea whose flat leaves are unmistakable. They
come in a wide range of qualities and even varietals, that is, subspecies of
the tea plant. At their best and most delicate -- those hand picked "before
the rains" -- they require a very low temperature, something like 125-135F
degrees. Their flavors and aromas are truly delicate, and not being familiar
with them, you *might* think they should be giving more. These teas will be
truly ruined at 170F and higher. Older leaf picked later is less delicate
and can stand the higher temperature. Some Long Jing has a gentle lemon note
with fresh "grass" (in a good way) and extra-light grass-floral notes.
Others take on a chestnut quality. Which you prefer is personal, naturally.
But, try the lower temperatures with relatively short steeps, the second
steep being far *shorter* than the first because the leaves will be more
ready to impart their flavors having already been opened.

This is *not* hair splitting; it's the stuff of tea.

Sorry again for rambly paragraph.

Michael

3/17/05

> Thanks for the info Michael. The long jing I have at the moment is most
> probably not the before the rains tea as I and my pocketbook would both know
> the difference (me from the vendor and my wallet from...well, the vendor
> too..). I also have to say that for instance Yinzhen silver needle is
> escaping me at this point so it's entirely possible that I am expecting
> LongJing to give more, as you say. (This is fine, it'll come in time or it
> won't but either way I enjoy tea now anyhow)

Quite so.
>
> Having said that, I am going to try it (the LJ) at lower temps today and see
> what all I can get get out of it. Keep in mind this particular sample has
> been exposed to the air now since Christmas so it's not at it's own most
> perfect I think.

Well, that can be liberating, can't it? Try this tea every which way. Get
some good in the future, though -- by which I don't mean an
empty-your-wallet one, just a super fresh one. TeaSpring might be a good
choice since they seem to sell several varieties and to describe them pretty
well on their web site.
>
> How short a steep are you thinking of then? I was doing my green loose leaf
> puer from Silk Road the other day and was using the 5 breaths idea and it
> made it much better than it had been. That has been my most common mistake
> with puer up til now...brewing it for too long....I didn't like the cooked
> puter at first because of that either....

For a fresh young LJ, I'd say 20 seconds first, and close to instantaneous
for the second. Amount of leaf to water can change that. I use a gaiwan of
perhaps 3 ounces or an YiXing teapot a bit smaller.
>
> BTW, when you say lemon do you mean lemon peel/zest?

Actually, lemon is a bad word choice, but I have no other. I mean a citrus
-- there I go again -- "ting" on the tongue, a touch of "bitterness," not
to be confused with astringency, which it is not.
>
> And Mydnight, ya know yer making me jealous is all ...this whole thing of
> the people hiding the best tea away and it's such a difficult thing to get
> ahold of. You know what...tea I suppose in a way at the smaller level is
> like preserves or pickles here (or even those who brew their own beer etc.)
> there may be a very good one-time batch that only a person and their friends
> will ever see. It's just the way it is. I feel like tea is a constant lesson
> in impermanence. Which is a good thing.

Ah, impermanence: The one thing on which we can rely.

Michael