Mingqian Longjing is picked before about April 5 and tastes sweeter and silkier. Yuqian is picked from April 5 to 20 and tastes fuller and nuttier for less money. Here is how to tell them apart in the cup and on the plate, and how to brew each one.
Real Da Hong Pao comes from the Wuyi Mountains, never claims to be from the mother trees, and keeps its flavor for six or more steeps. Five checks you can run at home, led by the steep count test that a 2020 Scientific Reports study links to the growing zone.
Five checks tell real West Lake Longjing from fake: pressed flat leaves, a soft yellowish green color, chestnut aroma, a clear pale cup in the brew test, and a label whose harvest claims match its price.
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