So, the other day I got it into my head that I wanted to try some authentic Longjing green tea. I’d heard so much about this “Dragon Well” tea and how it’s, like, the most famous green tea in China. I figured, why not give it a shot?

Starting My Little Tea Adventure

First, I hit up a local specialty tea shop. I strolled in there, feeling like a total tea newbie, and asked about Longjing. The guy behind the counter, a real tea enthusiast, started telling me all about its history and how it’s grown near Hangzhou. Sounded pretty cool, so I grabbed a small bag, figuring I should test the waters before diving in.

Brewing It Up

Once I got home, I pulled out my trusty teapot and got to work. I heated up some water, making sure it wasn’t boiling – apparently, that’s a big no-no for green tea. The package said to use about 2 grams of tea leaves for every 150ml of water, so I eyeballed it – precision isn’t exactly my forte. I dropped the leaves into the teapot and poured the hot water over them.

The First Sip

I let it steep for about 2 minutes, just like the package suggested. The tea turned this lovely light green color. The smell was something else – kinda grassy and sweet at the same time. I poured myself a cup and took a sip. It was… different. Not bad, just different from what I’m used to. It had this gentle, almost sweet taste to it, very smooth.

Getting Fancy with It

Then, I remembered hearing that some folks add osmanthus flowers to their Longjing. I happened to have some dried osmanthus on hand – don’t ask why, I’m just weird like that. So, I brewed another pot, this time tossing in a few osmanthus flowers with the tea leaves.

The result? Even better! The osmanthus added this subtle floral note that really complemented the green tea. It was like a whole new level of deliciousness. I felt pretty proud of my little tea experiment. It was definitely a refreshing change from my usual black coffee. And the best part? It left me feeling relaxed but not drowsy.

So, yeah, that’s my Longjing tea story. I went from knowing nothing about it to making it a part of my afternoon routine, and I might have gotten a little carried away with the osmanthus flowers, but hey, it was worth it!

• What I learned: Longjing tea is mild and sweet.
• What I discovered: Adding osmanthus flowers makes it even better.
• What I’ll do next: Keep experimenting with different tea blends.