Imperial Dragonwell

Unlike steam-fired Japanese green teas, which tend to be vegetal, Lung Ching strikes a perfect balance between green character and the nori-like notes found in Japanese Sencha. Harvested just before Qingming, when the new twigs are beginning to sprout, Lung Ching boasts the coveted "one leaf and a bud" grade. This delicate picking process is labor-intensive, requiring up to 50,000 tender leaves to produce just one kilogram of tea. The discovery of tea is shrouded in mysterious legends, with the oldest tale dating back to 2737 BCE. One breezy afternoon, Emperor Chen-Nung of China was sipping a cup of boiled water under the shade of his garden. With a wind gust, leaves from a nearby bush floated into his cup. These leaves, from the Camellia sinensis plant, infused the water with a refreshing aroma that gave the Emperor such a sense of well-being that he vowed to drink a cup each day. Thus, the tradition of tea drinking was born. We infuse Lung Ching in a double-wall glass teapot, so as to marvel in the dance of the leaves - the synchronized movement of leaves in their warm embrace with pristine water.