A light starting point for one glass
Our editorial starting suggestion is 2 g of loose Longjing with an actual 250 mL of water at 85–90°C (185–194°F). Use an uncovered heat-safe glass of at least 300 mL capacity. Leave the leaves in and make a first taste check around 2 minutes, once the drink is cool enough to sip. This proposal is awaiting hands-on testing; your packet’s directions take priority.
The taste check is not an instruction to remove a basket at 2 minutes. For a basket or a full pour-off method, use a recipe written for that operation. See brewing without a gaiwan.
Count the water you add
“A 300 mL glass” describes capacity, not necessarily how much water you poured. Measure the actual 250 mL (about 8.5 US fl oz) and leave room to handle the glass. Do not automatically fill to the rim or double the recipe for an unknown large vessel.
Leaf shapes and spoon sizes differ, so a heaped spoon is not a dependable substitute for a gram measurement. A small scale helps reproduce this particular starting dose.
Why not copy a 1:50 recipe?
A 1:50 leaf-to-water ratio means 5 g for 250 mL; 2 g in 250 mL is 1:125. Those are different preparations. The museum glass lesson reviewed for this guide uses its own dose, water procedure and conditions. It does not validate combining a higher dose with our leaves-left-in proposal.
Choose one complete method rather than collecting the strongest-looking numbers from several recipes. Read the Longjing guide for the full scope.
Adjust after the first cup
If it is too strong, transfer the drink away from the leaves and try diluting a small portion to taste. Next time, change one variable, starting with less leaf if you want a lighter cup. If it is weak, check the actual dose, water and temperature before changing everything.
If it becomes bitter while you work, see why Longjing turns bitter. For the packet afterwards, see opened-tea storage.
Editorial notes
Reviewed 17 October 2026. The light recipe is an editorial proposal, not a published standard or a taste-tested optimum. Museum and equipment instructions were compared to keep leaves-in, basket and decanted methods distinct. The ratio comparison is arithmetic, not a quality claim.