Most Chinese green teas are pan-fired, which gives them a mellow, toasty taste with nutty or floral notes.
Classics include Long Jing Dragon Well, with flat leaves and a chestnut-like taste. Bi Luo Chun, Huang Shan Mao Feng and Gunpowder Temple of Heaven are other favorites.
Curious drinkers can try Finest Anji White, White Monkey and En Shi Yu Lu, Jade Gyokuro. For a floral cup, choose Imperial Jasmine Dragon Pearls or browse all jasmine teas.
Use 1 teaspoon per 8 oz cup, or a little more for fluffy leaves like Mao Feng. Heat water to 175 to 185°F and steep 2 to 3 minutes. A glass cup lets you watch the leaves open.
Gunpowder tea is green tea rolled into small, tight pellets that open up as they steep. It has a bold, slightly smoky taste. It is also the classic base for Moroccan-style mint tea.
No. Anji White is a green tea. Its name comes from the pale, almost white young leaves of the tea plant it is made from. It is processed like green tea and tastes fresh, sweet and smooth.
Long Jing, or Dragon Well, is pressed flat in a hot pan. That gives it a toasty, nutty flavor, often compared to chestnut, with a smooth, sweet finish and very little bitterness.