Tea Cultivar · Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Long Jing Qun Ti
- Origin
- China - Zhejiang (West Lake, Hangzhou)
- Primary use
- green tea, longjing
Overview
Long Jing Qun Ti Zhong - literally 'population cultivar Long Jing' - is the heirloom, seed-propagated population of native tea plants that has grown around West Lake in Hangzhou for centuries. Unlike the clonal Long Jing #43, Qun Ti is genetically diverse: every bush is slightly different, with variation in leaf shape, budding time, and flavor. It is the traditional source of Xihu Long Jing and is increasingly prized by connoisseurs as a premium alternative to the dominant clonal cultivar.
Characteristics
A genetically heterogeneous population of small-leafed sinensis plants, varying in leaf size, color, and growth habit from bush to bush. Qun Ti buds noticeably later than Long Jing #43 - often by 7 to 10 days - and yields less consistently, which makes it agronomically inferior on paper but flavor-superior in the cup. It is also more drought- and disease-resilient because of its genetic diversity.
Flavor profile
Heirloom Qun Ti Long Jing offers a layered, complex profile - toasted chestnut, sweet bamboo shoot, orchid, soybean, and a wild floral high note that clonal #43 rarely matches. The body is fuller, the aftertaste deeper and more mineral, with a sweetness that returns several seconds after swallowing (hui gan). The liquor is a clear pale gold.
Where it grows
Zhejiang (Xihu - Meijiawu, Shifeng, Longjing village)