Truly, Dragon Well Shrimp is the stuff of legend. According to historians, the Longjing tea is so delicious that not only was the green tea granted the status of Gong Cha or imperial tea by no less than the Kangxi emperor during the Qing dynasty centuries ago, but also the drink sits on top of the list of China's Famous Teas (simplified Chinese: 中国十大名茶; traditional Chinese: 中國十大名茶; pinyin: Zhōngguó shí dàmíng chá) today.
So precious is the Longjing green tea produced by the original Camella Sinensis bushes (now grown into trees) that it’s auctioned at a “higher price per gram than gold.” Combine all those tea goodies with the irresistible crunchy texture of stir-fried live river shrimp, and you have one food experience of a lifetime.
In this post, we’ll walk you through three jaw-dropping reasons why the Dragon Well Tea Shrimp is a legendary feast worth assembling — a treat that will make your and everyone’s mouth water. Read on.
Dragon Well Shrimp: A Legendary Green Tea Dish
Let’s not forget Dragon Well is green tea. But it’s not just green tea, considered the “healthiest of all true teas.” It may well be green tea at its finest.
Longjing (translated as Dragon Well) comes from a well in the Tianmu Mountains in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province of China. Centuries ago, inhabitants found a rock shaped like a dragon while drilling the well. As tea cultivation flourished near the well, the tea from the region became known as Dragon Well tea.
Longjing prawns, commonly known as Dragon Well Shrimp, are live river prawns stir-fried with Dragon Well Tea. Legend has it that the Qianlong Emperor (1711 - 1799) found the fried shrimp dipped in Longjing so delicious that he brought the tea leaves to his sick mother, Empress Dowager Chongqing, who couldn’t help but notice the sweet aroma of the leaves, which eventually helped heal her.
Why Dragon Well Shrimp Will Make Your Mouth Water?
Legends attest to the everlasting appeal of Dragon Well tea. We can’t help but get drawn to it. Here are three more reasons it’s an epic of gastronomic proportions to make our mouths water.
It’s Good for the Heart
The heart may not be the largest muscle in the body, but it’s the most powerful, pumping out 2 ounces (71 grams) of human blood for every heartbeat. That translates to 2,500 gallons (9,450 liters) of blood pumped daily.
- In a person’s lifetime alone, heart beats over 3 billion times.
The good news is Dragon Well is perfectly poised to help strengthen your heart. As the finest green tea, the nootropic drink is super-rich with antioxidants that boost your circulatory system. Chief of these powerful plant nutrients are polyphenols, which help unclog triglycerides and plaque in the arteries leading to your heart.
Longjing contains more antioxidants than any run-of-the-mill green tea on the planet. It’s another strong point of the tea as green tea helps limit cholesterol absorption in the gut. A study in China involving 1651 patients revealed those who drank tea regularly had lower cholesterol levels than those who didn’t — by as much as 6.69% less.
Heart-related diseases wreak havoc on humanity, claiming nearly 20 million lives yearly. Engaging in Longjing prawns increases your chances of maintaining a good heart and living longer.
It’s Super Delicious
Above and beyond, Dragon Well Shrimp is super delicious. And that’s in no small way because of its two main ingredients, Longjing and those most enticing fresh river prawns.
Green tea is naturally sweeter, brighter, and more mellow than the more astringent black tea. Of course, this is attributed to the shorter oxidation process of green tea compared to black (which contains more caffeine).
But Dragon Well sits atop as the finest of green tea, an attribute most noticeable in the taste department.
Not only is it a perfect starter green tea for any novice tea drinker, but its chestnut aroma that carries floral notes and an unmistakable crisp vegetal character cannot be denied. It speaks to you as much as it spoke to Emperor Qianlong’s mother, Empress Dowager.
- So much so that the empress habitually gave green tea to foreign dignitaries in China centuries ago.
- Just as Mao Xedong gifted President Nixon with Longjing tea during the American president’s visit in recent times.
Such a captivating aroma of Dragon Well translates to the Longjing shrimp. In effect, Dragon Well Shrimp’s aroma is most electrifying.
Moreover, the fragrance natural to the green shoots of Dragon Well fits the succulent taste of river-fresh white shrimps. Yes, the shrimps are central to the mouthwatering goodness of the Longjing tea shrimp dish.
- Foodies use only plump shrimps from the local river.
- They only use shrimps captured alive for the best results.
The result is nothing less than spectacular. Indeed, it’s a marriage made in heaven, exactly why Dragon Well Shrimp is one of the most famous dishes from China. And the only justification you get is when you taste it yourself.
Dragon Well Shrimp is a Health Feast
There’s more to Dragon Well Shrimp than meets the eye. And that’s because you enjoy tons of health benefits from this most sought-after Asian dish. Largely due to the presence of Longjing green tea.
As a nootropic drink, green tea lets you focus on the here and now. To concentrate better. It’s a great coffee alternative helping you boost your alertness and focus. So anytime you need to focus on work, munching on Longjing Tea Shrimp is a great idea.
L-theanine in Dragon Well green tea helps calm you down. This amino acid increases the production of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, the feel-good hormones. As a result, you experience being calm and relaxed after consuming the nootropic drink.
Whenever you munch on Dragon Well Shrimp, you provide your body with powerful antioxidants such as EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate). Not only do you get to protect your brain from oxidative stress with EGCG, but you also protect yourself from the onslaught of cancer.
The green tea polyphenol EGCG is a powerful deterrent to help fight degenerative diseases: cancer and type-2 diabetes, for starters. Plus, Dragon Well helps prevent dental plaque, giving you an even brighter smile.
And a bigger appetite.