Longjing Green Tea Shrimp 龙井虾仁 or Lóng jǐng xiā rén, also known as Dragon Well Tea Shrimp, a typical recipe from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, where we tasted them during our journey in January 2024.
Long Jing means “Dragon Well” and a legend tells that the name derives from a well, whose water, along with the rainwater, created a shape reminiscent of a dragon, another that a dragon lived in the well.
The recipe uses live river shrimp coated in egg white and moist starch, then fried in lard at a medium-low temperature for 15 seconds, removed from the oil and drained when they turn jade white, then quickly stir-fried over high heat with boiling water infused with Longjing tea, tea leaves, and Shaoxing rice wine.
This dish is mainly composed of white and green colors, and according to one of the many legends, the recipe was born when Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty visited southern China.
Nourished by the landscapes of Hangzhou, he became passionate about tea and poetry.
Another legend still tells that chef Hang created the Longjing shrimp inspired by a phrase written by the poet Su Dongpo, to whom we owe the Dongpo Rou recipe: “Taste a new tea on a new stove; enjoy the poetry and wine while you can”.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 lb river shrimp
- 2 tbsp egg white
- 3 tbsp potato starch
- 1 tbsp longjing tea leaves
- 1 3/4 cups vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- to taste rice vinegar (Chinkiang)
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Wok
Steps
1. Rinse and drain the shrimp and dry them with paper towels. Place them in a bowl with salt and egg white and vigorously mix with your hand in one direction until they have a slightly elastic texture. Add the 3 tablespoons of potato starch and mix well until they are evenly coated with starch and egg white. Cover and let rest for at least 2 hours.
2. Steep the tea leaves for 1 minute, then strain the tea leaves, keeping both the leaves and the infusion liquid.
3. Mix 2 teaspoons of cooking oil into the shrimp, so they separate during cooking. Heat the remaining oil in a wok, add the shrimp, and separate them with chopsticks. Stir them gently until they curl, become opaque, and are almost cooked; remove them with a slotted spoon.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok. Add the shrimp, Shaoxing wine, tea leaves, and 2 tablespoons of tea infusion and stir quickly.
Serve accompanied by vinegar for dipping.
FAQ
Where is Longjing tea grown?
Longjing tea is an exceptional natural organic green tea from Zhejiang province.
Harvested in spring, near the city of Hangzhou, this natural organic tea stands out for its long, flat leaves of a beautiful emerald green shade.
Its light notes of hazelnut and chestnut make the taste highly appreciated by tea lovers.
Every spring, hundreds of tea pickers start working in the hills south of West Lake in Hangzhou.
Here, the best leaves are collected in baskets and brought to factories, where they are roasted in a wok by tea masters to preserve their flavor.
Longjing tea is available in 6 different grades.
Dragon Well Tea Village is the place where the famous dragon well is located, and the perfect place to taste the finest teas in one of the “tea houses.”
A little further away, you will find the National Tea Museum, which has vast plots of land devoted to the art of tea cultivation, drying, and tasting.
