Longjing tea

Grown on the hills around West Lake, Longjing, "dragon well", is recognised by its flat, smooth leaves, obtained by pressing them by hand against the wall of a wok heated to eighty degrees. That gesture, ten codified movements, halts oxidation and fixes a roasted chestnut taste. Emperor Qianlong is said to have ennobled eighteen tea bushes in Shifeng village, still in production and sold at auction prices. The picking before the Qingming festival, in early April, takes only the bud and first leaf.