Even casual tea drinkers would have heard of Xihu Longjing or West Lake Dragon Well, the best known Chinese green tea all over the world. As with so many other success stories in China, fame begets imitation and today 90% of all Dragon Well produced are in other parts of Zhejiang- the province where Hangzhou (home of Xihu) resides. (For more information on the geographical segregation of Longjing, do read this article)
Naturally the birthplace does have more prestige in most cases hence Xihu or even Shifeng Longjing enjoy their well-deserved fame.
Not Just a Knock-off
Of all the types of Longjing, the well-regarded “品茶图鉴” edited by 陈宗懋 saw it fit to include only Dafo Longjing in addition to Xihu Longjing in its coverage. Fitting since Dafo Longjing from Xinchang (新昌) county in Zhejiang has made a name for itself, not as a Xihu imitator but an established variety in its own right.
Xihu on the left, Dafo on the right
*Note- Shifeng Longjing is classified as Xihu Longjing*
Consider this:
In 1991 the moniker “中国文化名茶” (China Cultural Famous Tea) was bestowed upon Dafo Longjing.
In 1995, Xinchang was added to the list of “中国名茶之乡” (Home of China’s Famous Tea)
In 1995, at the 2nd Annual “中国农博会” (China Agricultural Expo), Dafo Longjing was awarded a Gold Medal.
Not exactly the stuff that you would expect from a mere knock-off.
Comparison between Xihu and Dafo Longjing
It would be intellectually dishonest to suggest that Dafo Longjing is superior to Xihu Longjing on all fronts, if that was so, it wouldn’t be priced almost 30% lower than Xihu Longjing.
The roasted bean fragrance of Xihu Longjing still shines through over the aroma of Dafo Longjing. However it does present an interesting value proposition to the more expensive Xihu Longjing.
Because of fame and the ‘tea-as-a-luxury-gift’ culture in China, prices Xihu Longjing have risen considerably over the past decade. A trend that is no doubt linked to the economic rise of China as well.
Consequentially, I reckon it would be quite unusual to find a fake Dafo Longjing in the market. For those who are so inclined, it would be more profitable to fake Xihu or Shifeng Longjing instead.
Xihu (right) Dafo (left)
Approximately 10% of all Longjing are produced in Xihu, hence even an elementary school student will be able to tell you 90% of all Longjing produced are NOT from Xihu. If you did a rough survey of the market, the maths simply doesn’t tally.
During recent events, I have had the opportunity to brew some Xihu Longjing for many people. On more than one occasion I have heard remarks like “Why is your tea (liquor) not green”, “the tea leaves are not pure green” and “where is the chestnut smell” in relation to their beloved ‘Xihu Longjing’ they have at home, commonly cited differences between Xihu and non-Xihu Longjing.
*More info on the difference between the 2 can be found here (written in Chinese). Although not the best resource around, it’s a quick summary*
Hence unless you’re buying from a reliable source (and no, Longjing village itself is not a sure bet), it’s getting harder to get authentic Xihu Longjing at an affordable price.
*Note: FYI a significant proportion of Longjing village is rented by tea producers from other parts of Zhejiang, so draw your own conclusion*
Dafo Longjing available in stores