Dragon Well Green Tea

China’s most famous tea! Dragon Well, (Longjing), is grown in the fertile Longjing mountain area of Hangzhou, southwest of the West Lake in the Zhejiang province. This mountainous region holds the cold currents from the north and the warm currents from the south, resulting in long periods of cloud cover. These ideal growing conditions produce what may be considered the best tea in China.

These flat, smooth leaves steep to an emerald green liquor, with a distinctive sweetness.

Brew tea at 180º – steep for 2 minutes.

Shrimp with Longjing Tea
Recipe from The Story of Tea by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss

1 Tbsp Longjing (Dragon Well) tea leaves
1 cup water
2 Tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp ground white pepper
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and rinsed
2 Tbsp plus 2 Tbsp peanut oil
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp aged rice vinegar
2 oz fresh snow peas, strings removed
2 oz green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
1/4 cup scallions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces on the diagonal

Place the tea leaves in a teapot or heatproof measuring cup. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then remove from the heat and let cool for 3 minutes. Pour the water over the tea leaves and brew for 3 minutes. Strain and reserve the tea leaves and the brewed tea liquor for later use.

Place 2 Tbsp of the cornstarch on a plate and add the white pepper. Mix well. Pat the shrimp dry and roll them in the mixture one at a time. Set aside.

Heat wok or skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 2 Tbsp of the peanut oil and heat for an additional 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and stir to prevent sticking. Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes, or until they turn pink and opaque. Quickly remove from the pan and drain the shrimp on paper towels.

Mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar in a bowl and set aside. Add a few Tbsp of brewed tea to the remaining 1 « tsp of cornstarch and stir to make a smooth paste. Add « cup of the brewed tea and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Add the remaining 2 Tbsp peanut oil to the pan and heat on medium-high for 30 seconds. Add the snow peas and green beans and saut‚ for 2 minutes. Add the cooked shrimp and scallions and heat for 1 minute. Add the reserved tea leaves and the oyster sauce mixture. Heat for 1 minute. Finally, add the tea and cornstarch mixture and cook for 1 minute, adding a few Tbsp of water to the sauce if it becomes too thick. Serve hot.