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How to Buy Chinese Dragonwell Tea

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(1 Ratings)

Chinese Dragonwell tea, otherwise known as Longjing tea, is famous and historically important in China. This powerful green tea contains theanine, epigallocatechin gallate and other compounds that help drinkers lose weight, prevent cancer and age slower. Buy Chinese Dragonwell tea cautiously by becoming an informed consumer and not falling for imitation Chinese Dragonwell tea.

From Quick Guide: Tea Time
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    Determine your budget. Different varieties of Chinese Dragonwell tea have varying price tags. Your budget will effect what grade of tea you buy and how much of it you can purchase.

  2. Step 2

    Learn about the grades of Chinese Dragonwell tea. High grades of Chinese Dragonwell tea are harvested within the first two weeks of being ready. Lower grades of Chinese Dragonwell tea are harvested after that for 4 weeks.

  3. Step 3

    Decide on a variety of Chinese Dragonwell tea to buy. Familiarize yourself with varieties from West Lake, the Zhejiang Province and other regions. West Lake is the rarest variety of the tea and Lion Peak, or Shifeng, is the most prized product from West Lake's crop.

  4. Step 4

    Find a reputable vendor. Tea gardens have been known to sell imitation Chinese Dragonwell tea to buyers desiring the real thing. Look online for customer reviews of vendors.

  5. Step 5

    Visit a vendor selling authentic Chinese Dragonwell tea.

  6. Step 6

    Inspect the Chinese Dragonwell tea tags for cropping dates, as they point out the tea's grade. The highest grades of Chinese Dragonwell tea will have cropping dates of late March or early April. Look for labels verifying its authenticity. Some legitimate Chinese Dragonwell tea labels inform the buyer that the tea is not from the Zhejiang region.

Tips & Warnings
  • Always ask for a certificate of authenticity when purchasing high-priced Chinese Dragonwell tea. West Lake tea should come with these certificates.
  • Be on the lookout for fake certificates of authenticity. The Chinese Dragonwell tea market is very large and some vendors attempt to sell tea with fake certificates.
  • Be aware that unscrupulous vendors will mix very low grade tea with a little high grade tea and try to sell it at an expensive price.

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