This can be a simple question or a very deep one. Most people will tell you Shifeng (Lion Peak), Meijiawu (Mei Family’s Enclave), Wengjiashan (Weng Family’s Hill) etc etc, those traditional patches of land near West Lake in Hangzhou. They all boast to be the best and the most genuine and say almost the same character about their teas.
In the old days, when production style, horticultural practices, use of cultivar and microclimates were distinct, there really were some differences between these origins. However, this is not the case now. Distinctiveness within the areas in West Lake is diminishing.
The fact is most Longjing out there in Europe is exported through Zhejiang Tea Corporation, which collects tea from all over Zhejiang and beyond and “ganged” into a few different export grades. The characters of origin, cultivar etc are thereby quite homogenized. Key regions for export grade Longjing are Fuyang, Wuyi (in Zhejiang, not the same as that one Fujian), and Shaoxing. The vast majority of export grades are machine roasted.
On the other hand, since the demand for finer quality is on the rise, many areas are producing Longjing. That include areas that are inherently BETTER green tea growing environment than the present day, much urbanized Hangzhou. And areas where farmers are too proud to sell their teas at low prices to collection agent from the “official” export company. There are many such regions, some examples include Chunan, Kaihua, and in counties in Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Sichuan etc, so you get an idea. Some productions from these regions give much fuller and smoother body and more delightful and complex aroma. They fit much better the descriptions by ancient poets and celebrities than very expensive ones in the West Lake area.
As a merchant, I face a serious dilemma here whether to sell productions NOT from West Lake but risking customer’s scornful eyes, or sell those from West Lake at ridiculous price, because it is getting impossible to offer the genuine taste at reasonable price. The other option is to sell those from other areas and lie that they are from famous regions, which is a common practice by many but I still cannot do it.
