Long Jing #43
Crisp chestnut, fresh-cut grass, mellow sweetness. The defining modern Long Jing cultivar.
Long Jing #43 is the cultivar that produces most modern Long Jing (Dragonwell) tea worldwide. The Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences developed it in 1973 as a higher-yield, earlier-budding selection from West Lake heirloom material. The result is a cultivar that produces approximately 30% more harvestable leaf than traditional Quntizhong stock, buds 7-10 days earlier in spring (capturing premium pre-Qingming market timing), and produces a more uniform cup character that's easier to commercialize consistently.
The cup signature — crisp chestnut character with fresh-cut grass freshness — is recognizable across the cultivar's range from authentic West Lake plantings through broader Zhejiang and even into other Chinese green tea regions where producers have adopted #43 for its agricultural advantages. Within authentic West Lake-protected Long Jing, #43 productions are typically considered slightly less complex than traditional Quntizhong material — but they're also more accessible in pricing and substantially more available. Most everyday Long Jing on the Western market is #43.
Teas produced
Flavor signature
Growing regions
- West Lake (Hangzhou)
- Broader Zhejiang
- Other Chinese green tea regions
Origins where Long Jing #43 grows
Brands likely carrying Long Jing #43
Direct-sourcing operations with focus areas that align with this cultivar's typical growing regions.