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Long Jing

This is probably the most famous of the Chinese green teas. It originally hails from the Xihu (West Lake) area near Hangzhou, and has long been famous for its fragrance and strength. However, nowadays it is possible to buy "Longjing" tea that are not even grown in Zhejiang province. Properly speaking, there are three general "classes" of Longjing: Zhejiang Longjing, Hangzhou Longjing, and Xihu Longjing. There's a bit of appellation control in this nomenclature, with Zhejiang Longjing being the broadest definition of what makes a Longjing, and Xihu the narrowest. Generally the closer you get to Xihu, the better the quality.

Contrary to what one might expect, the higher grade Longjing tend to be lighter in colour as well as flavour, while the lower grades would be a darker green and be more nutty. The best Longjing is usually considered to be those that were plucked "Mingqian", or pre-Qingming festival (a Chinese festival that generally falls in early April). The next best is "Yuqian", or pre-Guyu, which is normally between April 19-21. Whereas Mingqian Longjing is usually of a very light green, with a light but long lasting bean flavour, Yuqian can sometimes be a bit more yellow and heavier in taste. Some prefer Yuqian as they think Mingqian Longjing is too light (or, just as often, too expensive).