How Is the Quality of Your Longjing Tea? Check These 6 Grades
"Green color, mellow taste, rich aroma, and beautiful shape" is a textual summary of Longjing tea quality. However, this textual standard no longer meets the current needs. Developing a "visible" and "tangible" "National Standard Sample of Longjing Tea" has become a consensus among all parties.
On April 15, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released the "Sensory Grading Standard Samples of Longjing Tea," which is the first national standard sample of Longjing tea and currently the only effective national standard sample of tea in Zhejiang Province. Its creation ends the history of Longjing tea lacking a national standard sample and marks the establishment of a unified Longjing tea product control mechanism based on textual and physical standards.
Longjing tea is a famous specialty of Zhejiang, with a history that began in the Song Dynasty, became known in the Yuan Dynasty, flourished in the Ming Dynasty, and peaked in the Qing Dynasty, spanning over a thousand years. In 2001, Longjing tea was approved as a geographical indication protection product by the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. In 2008, "Longjing Tea" was registered as a geographical indication certification trademark by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.
The original production area of Longjing tea involves 4 cities and 18 counties (cities, districts) in Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Jinhua, and Taizhou, divided into three production areas: Xihu, Qiantang, and Yuezhou. In 2023, the area of Longjing tea plantations was 1.1 million mu, with a production of 26,800 tons and an output value of 6.223 billion yuan.
The newly released national standard samples of Longjing tea are divided into 6 grades, from low to high: Grade 5, Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1, and Special Grade. All national standard samples of Longjing tea are machine-fried, but distinguished by color: tender green or brown rice color for higher grades, and yellow-green for the lowest grade.
The development of the national standard sample of Longjing tea took 8 years from initiation to approval. Professor Gong Shuying of Zhejiang University submitted the application for the development of the national standard sample of Longjing tea to the National Technical Committee for Standard Samples, which was approved by the National Standardization Administration. The development team strictly followed the requirements of the GB/T 15000 "Guidelines for Standard Samples" series of national standards, achieving good uniformity and stability. The characteristic values met the national standards of GB/T 18650 "Geographical Indication Products Longjing Tea." On May 13, 2023, it passed the review of the National Technical Committee for Standard Samples. On March 25, 2024, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Standardization Administration announced the approval of this standard sample.
Professor Gong Shuying stated that the release of the national standard sample of Longjing tea is to guide tea enterprises in grading and packaging. Consumers can choose according to the grades on the Longjing tea packaging. If the tea you buy does not meet the corresponding grade, you can apply for testing at a tea inspection agency, making it easier for consumers to purchase authentic and graded Longjing tea.
After the release of the national standard sample of Longjing tea, management departments, tea enterprises, and consumers can use the concrete, comparable physical samples for various purposes such as commercial trade, arbitration, teaching, and research.
On April 15, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released the "Sensory Grading Standard Samples of Longjing Tea," which is the first national standard sample of Longjing tea and currently the only effective national standard sample of tea in Zhejiang Province. Its creation ends the history of Longjing tea lacking a national standard sample and marks the establishment of a unified Longjing tea product control mechanism based on textual and physical standards.
Longjing tea is a famous specialty of Zhejiang, with a history that began in the Song Dynasty, became known in the Yuan Dynasty, flourished in the Ming Dynasty, and peaked in the Qing Dynasty, spanning over a thousand years. In 2001, Longjing tea was approved as a geographical indication protection product by the State Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. In 2008, "Longjing Tea" was registered as a geographical indication certification trademark by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.
The original production area of Longjing tea involves 4 cities and 18 counties (cities, districts) in Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Jinhua, and Taizhou, divided into three production areas: Xihu, Qiantang, and Yuezhou. In 2023, the area of Longjing tea plantations was 1.1 million mu, with a production of 26,800 tons and an output value of 6.223 billion yuan.
The newly released national standard samples of Longjing tea are divided into 6 grades, from low to high: Grade 5, Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1, and Special Grade. All national standard samples of Longjing tea are machine-fried, but distinguished by color: tender green or brown rice color for higher grades, and yellow-green for the lowest grade.
The development of the national standard sample of Longjing tea took 8 years from initiation to approval. Professor Gong Shuying of Zhejiang University submitted the application for the development of the national standard sample of Longjing tea to the National Technical Committee for Standard Samples, which was approved by the National Standardization Administration. The development team strictly followed the requirements of the GB/T 15000 "Guidelines for Standard Samples" series of national standards, achieving good uniformity and stability. The characteristic values met the national standards of GB/T 18650 "Geographical Indication Products Longjing Tea." On May 13, 2023, it passed the review of the National Technical Committee for Standard Samples. On March 25, 2024, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the National Standardization Administration announced the approval of this standard sample.
Professor Gong Shuying stated that the release of the national standard sample of Longjing tea is to guide tea enterprises in grading and packaging. Consumers can choose according to the grades on the Longjing tea packaging. If the tea you buy does not meet the corresponding grade, you can apply for testing at a tea inspection agency, making it easier for consumers to purchase authentic and graded Longjing tea.
After the release of the national standard sample of Longjing tea, management departments, tea enterprises, and consumers can use the concrete, comparable physical samples for various purposes such as commercial trade, arbitration, teaching, and research.