Longjing Shrimp
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Longjing Shrimp
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Longjing Shrimp (Simplified Chinese: 龙井虾仁; Traditional Chinese: 龍井蝦仁; Pinyin: Lóngjǐng xiārén), also called Longjing prawns or Dragon Well shrimp, is a Hangzhou (Zhejiang) specialty of fresh river shrimp quickly cooked with Longjing (Dragon Well) tea leaves so the seafood picks up a delicate tea aroma—an emblem of lakeside Hangzhou cuisine on Zhejiang Food.[1][2]
Characteristics
The plate is prized for a white-and-green look: jade-white shrimp beside emerald tea buds. Seasoning is light so tea fragrance shows; soft texture cue: shrimp stay tender and springy, not overcooked rubber. Soft craft cue: many classic restaurant methods velvet shrimp with egg white and starch, briefly oil-poach or flash-fry, then toss with tea infusion, leaves, and a splash of Shaoxing wine.[1] Soft tea cue: Hangzhou writing often prefers early-spring Longjing (Mingqian soft note) for aroma and color; tea quality is part of the dish identity, not garnish only.[2] Soft aroma cue: finished plates smell of fresh tea first, then sweet shrimp—not of thick brown gravy. Soft mouthfeel cue: sauce should barely glaze rather than pool; the dish reads as fragrant and clean, not sweet-sour sticky. Keep distinct from heavily sauced Cantonese or Sichuan shrimp stir-fries and from deep-fried salt-and-pepper shrimp.
Ingredients (overview)
Fresh river shrimp; Longjing tea leaves and often a tea infusion; egg white or starch for velvet coating; oil; light salt or wine. Soft craft overview: tea and shrimp meet only at the end over high heat so leaves stay green and shrimp stay white—overview only, not a recipe. Soft geography cue: West Lake / Qiantang river shrimp supply and nearby Longjing tea gardens underpin the Hangzhou framing. Related Zhejiang signatures include West Lake Vinegar Fish, DongPo Stewed Pork, and Beggar’s Chicken. Soft home-kitchen note: outside Hangzhou, cooks may substitute other green teas, but the dish name still points to Dragon Well identity.
History and culture
Grouped with other Hangzhou banquet classics on Zhejiang Food. Soft disputed origin: a popular Qianlong-era folk tale claims the emperor's leftover Longjing leaves were accidentally tossed into a shrimp wok at a Hangzhou restaurant; local food-history essays instead credit early twentieth-century cooks at Hangzhou's Tianwaitian restaurant (Wu Lizhang / "Amao" family tellings) with deliberately stir-frying fresh tea and river shrimp near the tea gardens—treat imperial accident stories as folk / disputed and the restaurant craft account as a competing soft local narrative.[3][4] Soft landmark note: West Lake restaurants such as Louwailou are frequently named in English summaries as well-known servers of the dish—cultural landmark framing, not a shop advertisement.[1] Soft modern recognition: Zhejiang classic-dish lists have highlighted the plate among provincial signatures. Soft poetic aside: some culture pages link the tea-and-shrimp idea to Su Dongpo imagery; keep that soft inspiration, not hard inventorship. Soft tea culture link: Longjing itself is a Famous Tea associated with West Lake hills, so the dish doubles as a edible postcard of Hangzhou landscape for travelers.
Serving and variations
Banquet or restaurant main, often shared. Soft variation: more tea leaves vs subtler infusion-only finishes; spring Mingqian tea vs later harvests; river shrimp vs substitute prawns outside Hangzhou. Soft pairing: light rice wine and other Hangzhou dishes such as West Lake Vinegar Fish or DongPo Stewed Pork. Soft travel cue: lakeside menus often present it as a must-order Hangzhou specialty—cultural framing, not advertising. See Zhejiang Food, DongPo Stewed Pork, and West Lake Vinegar Fish.