Longjing Fluffballs

[Dresden]

You have found the sole remaining public picture of the legendary "Longjing Fluffballs" - the much vaunted 1978 champion mens synchronized cotton candy spinning team. You can read about their remarkable history in the best selling and controversial book 'Pink Fluff and Cigarettes.'

[teaskeptic]

There were fluffballs in some of my decent quality longjings from last year. I didn't really read into it too much.

[raymart]

I found this thread because I was searching online trying to figure out what the balls were in my tea. I've got quite a lot of them in a batch of 2010 Ming Qian longjing from amazing-green-tea.com. It is the AAA grade $34 for 50g. If you want to see it for yourself, you can take your chances and order a batch. I'm just glad to hear it's not bad.

[TIM]

Well interesting enough, mine just arrived and the fluffy pallet do show-up



Smell really floral and fresh like a Japanese Shincha ~ T

[beachape]

Got my tea in last week and has fluff balls like last year. They don't dissolve in water but I'm pretty sure they are the "fine hairs" of the tea buds as previously suggested. If i had a camera I would take a picture

[Tead Off]

I just returned from Hong Kong where I sampled 5 different Longjing teas from 3 different shops. None had the fluff balls. Strange and I can't recall ever seeing this. The sampling included a top grade that was selling for over $100/75g all the way down to a commercial grade that was quite inexpensive.

That top grade was a Shi Feng Shan. Great. But, I notice Jing Tea shop selling their Shi Feng Shan for $42/100gr. If it's the same tea (probably not but same area) that would be a bargain. Maybe that's the markup for having a shop on Hong Kong Island.

[beachape]

One of these days I'd like to try some of the lion peak longjing. How does it taste compared to other good authentic xihu tea?

[gingkoseto]

I just returned from Hong Kong where I sampled 5 different Longjing teas from 3 different shops. None had the fluff balls. Strange and I can't recall ever seeing this. The sampling included a top grade that was selling for over $100/75g all the way down to a commercial grade that was quite inexpensive.

I guess it also depends on how hard the workers try to pick out the balls (as described in the long jing production procedure, it's the last step, removing the debris and fluff balls). The harder they work, the fewer balls there are. But even if they work the hardest, it's possible several balls escape from their eyes. The chance for you to get a ball in a sample may be small. There were a few times that I barely saw any balls throughout the whole container, and then spotted several when going near the bottom.

[Tead Off]

One of these days I'd like to try some of the lion peak longjing. How does it taste compared to other good authentic xihu tea?

So far, it's the best one I've tasted. Flavor is very buttery, almost broth like but not salty like Japanese greens. Very smooth with slight floral notes. More distinct and longer lasting. Aroma nutty and similar to most good Longjing. I bought a much less expensive one that was better, IMO, than the 2nd highest grade which was selling at HK$680 for 100g. I paid US$20/75g. Neither one was Shi Feng Shan.

[debunix]

Fluffballs, from pile 'o tea to closeups, courtesy of some Royal Organic Dragon Well from Wing Hop Fung:





To prove that the fluff bits aren't cocoons or other buggy things, one bit was scraped off a leaf and sits beside it (I coudn't find any bits free of the leaves):

[rabbit]

I'm willing to bet that as it's pan fired the little hairs fall off and gather in the bottom of the pan, and the last of the longjing for the day probably has large amounts of hair that stick to some of the leaves or something like that.

[beachape]

Nice pics!...made me go drink some longjing.

[gingkoseto]

Wow debunix, these are very nice photos! Almost like microscope photos!

[debunix]

Wow debunix, these are very nice photos! Almost like microscope photos!

Not quite microscopic, but with the extension tubes I can get this close



(penny for scale reference)

[TIM]

This is a Pre-rain, Pre-Ming Lion's peak long jing with fine fair sticking on leaves everywhere.