Beverage
Dragon Well
S tier
Dragon Well is the English market name for Longjing (龙井), the famous pan-fired flat-leaf green tea of Hangzhou’s West Lake hills in Zhejiang, China. Made from small-leaf Camellia sinensis, buds and young leaves are pressed and roasted in a wok so oxidation is halted and leaves form smooth, blade-like shapes with a glossy green-yellow cast. Core gardens such as Shi Feng and Mei Jia Wu set the quality benchmark; outside protected origin zones, “Dragon Well–style” teas may use similar pan-firing methods with broader geographic sourcing. Cup character mirrors Longjing: soft chestnut and toasted-nut sweetness, light vegetal lift, low bitterness when not over-steeped, and a bright pale liquor. It is served as a premium everyday green tea, paired with light foods, and used in pastries, ice cream, and cocktails where the Dragon Well name is more familiar to Western drinkers than Longjing.
Also known as: West Lake Dragon Well / Xi Hu Longjing, Dragon Well–style, Dragon Well (retail label), Dragon Well (retail label)
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History
Tea from the Hangzhou West Lake hills—later famous as Longjing/Dragon Well—entered Tang literary and agricultural record.
Imperial Qing patronage of West Lake Longjing established the tea’s elite status under its Chinese name.
English traders and writers popularised the calque “Dragon Well” for Longjing in Western tea catalogues and travel accounts.
Specialty importers marketed Dragon Well as an accessible Chinese green tea name for North American retail shelves.
Protected geographical status for West Lake Longjing reinforced origin claims even when sold under English branding.
Online specialty retail treated Dragon Well and Longjing as synonyms while distinguishing authentic Hangzhou origin from generic flat greens.