At a glance
Kaihua Longding is a bud-shaped green tea from Kaihua in Zhejiang. Longding refers to the tea name and local mountain account, not the flat Longjing style. The older profile connects modern development with work around Dalong Mountain and Longding Pond.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 开化龙顶 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Kaihua County, Quzhou, Zhejiang |
| Leaf form | Upright, fine, tightly worked bud-like strands |
Taste and appearance
The retained table describes even, fine, tight, upright buds or bud-like strands, fresh lustrous green colour, pale-green clear bright liquor and an abundant tender fragrance. The cup is fresh, mellow, sweet and brisk; infused material is substantial, even, tender green and bright. Upright leaves in a glass are an appearance feature, not an authenticity test.
The original liquor and infused-leaf photograph is withheld because identical pixels were assigned to another tea name. Its named identity could not be confirmed; the original file is preserved.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Even buds, tight, straight and elegant | Fairly even buds, fine, tight and elegant | Fairly even buds, tight and straight |
| Dry-leaf colour | Fresh, lustrous pale green | Lustrous pale green | Green, fairly lustrous |
| Liquor | Pale green, clear and bright | Pale green and bright | Pale green, fairly bright |
| Aroma | Abundant tender fragrance | Lasting tender fragrance | Tender fragrance |
| Taste | Fresh, mellow, sweet and brisk | Fresh, mellow and brisk | Fresh, mellow, full and brisk |
| Infused leaves | Substantial, even, tender green and bright | Even, tender green and bright | Fairly even, green and bright |
The original three sensory tiers are retained, not claimed to reproduce every current packet’s standard or to certify quality from upright leaf movement.
Names and origin
The old introduction names Dalong Village in Qixi and a 1959 recovery/development account, while its origin section names Dalong Mountain, Shi’er Mountain in Suzhuang and Baiyun Mountain in the earlier Xikou description. These are different historical locality accounts, not proof that one listed site alone defines every current pack. Earlier tribute-tea history should not be collapsed into an unchanged modern named product or one independently verified exact naming date.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
It may suit someone who enjoys observing upright bud-like leaves and wants a fresh, mellow Zhejiang green tea. Leaf movement or standing upright cannot certify origin, harvest or grade.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: heat-safe glass
The earlier method uses a heat-safe glass, 1:50 tea-to-water ratio and 85–90°C / 185–194°F water. It says to refill when about one-third of the liquid remains, and describes roughly three infusions/refills. It supplies no first steeping time. Keep the retained illustration’s method separate below.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 3 g Kaihua Longding as an editorial arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 150 mL / about 5.1 US fl oz, measured water; 3 g at 1:50 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe glass with room for the leaves and actual water |
| Water temperature | 85–90°C / 185–194°F |
| First drinking infusion | No first steeping time recorded in the prose; follow a complete packet method |
| Refill | At about one-third liquid remaining; refilling is different from a full fresh measured batch |
These inherited directions and explicit ratio examples are awaiting hands-on testing. Nominal vessel capacity and a drawn fill fraction do not measure actual water. Three repeat cups is not a guarantee of equal strength. If leaves remain in the glass, extraction continues; transfer or strain if the cup becomes too strong. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
The original graphic gives 3 g in a heat-safe glass, 85°C / 185°F, a 1:50 ratio and 2–3 minutes. The ratio implies 150 mL actual water by arithmetic. It first fills one-third then seven-tenths of an unspecified glass; those fractions do not measure 150 mL. It describes refilling at one-third remaining and three infusions. Keep this separate from the prose’s wider temperature range and missing first time.
For ordinary teaware options, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep each complete method together instead of selecting temperature, dose and time from different preparations.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Check actual growing locality, producer, picking, harvest and packet grade. Ask which of the old locality and development claims applies to the product. A famous-tea award or a mountain story does not identify the lot in your pack.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade | 650 | 130 |
| Grade 1 | 400 | 80 |
| Grade 2 | 300 | 60 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
How to store
Original storage method
The original method places green tea in a closed foil pouch, gently removes excess air, then puts the pouch inside a lidded iron or tin container upright for refrigerated storage, protected from light, moisture and smells. Check that a paper pouch is actually lined and moisture resistant; plain paper alone is not an airtight moisture barrier.
Its general reference was 12 months, with storage below 10°C / 50°F and below 50% relative humidity. It also described a cool, shaded room-temperature option for tea expected to be finished within two months. These are inherited conditions, not a verified expiry or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. Follow the actual maker’s label, package and specified conditions first.
In a UK or US kitchen
If following a product’s cold-storage directions, keep the pack sealed against fridge moisture and food smells, and let it warm while still sealed before opening. Keep a working portion away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, sunlight and spices; reseal after use. Do not apply a refrigerator recipe to another tea automatically. See storing an opened packet for handling.
The original green-tea handling note keeps a separate one-to-two-week working portion to avoid repeatedly warming and opening the bulk cold pack. Portion in dry conditions and seal each pack.
Origin, processing and history
The retained map shows picking, spreading, heat fixing, arranging strands, rubbing/rolling and baking dry. It is a shaped green-tea route, not a Longjing recipe or a complete machinery schedule. The old 1959 development account is kept as historical context without asserting that all earlier tribute tea was this exact modern product.
Common questions
Is Kaihua Longding the same tea as Longjing?
They are different named green-tea references. This entry describes an upright bud-shaped style from Kaihua; Longjing is discussed separately. Similar dragon wording in an English translation does not make the names interchangeable.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Nominal capacity or a fill fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Longjing, or browse the green tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.