Longjing Shrimp
3 min readThe lingering fragrance of tea and the divine texture of shrimp:Longjing shrimp，a signature dish in Hangzhou cuisine，can bring a spot of imperial pleasure to your dining experience.
The story of Longjing shrimp，like many other classic dishes，relates to the Emperor Qianlong，a Qing Dynasty emperor known for his obsession with the southern region and food.On an excursion to the South，Qianlong passed Hangzhou，the hometown of Longjingtea，while touring the picturesque West Lake.Disguised as a commoner，the Emperor hid from the rain in a woman’s house and was offered tea made from freshly picked tea leaves boiled in spring water on a charcoal fire.Impressed by the taste but not wanting to reveal his true identity，the emperor pocketed some leaves and continued his trip.At sunset，he reached an inn and ordered several dishes，and among them was fried shrimp.When the emperor passed the tea leaves to the waiter to make some tea，the waiter caught a glimpse of the imperial gown underneath and rushed to inform the chef.Horrified and under immense pressure，the chef accidentally added tea leaves into the dish，mistaking them forgreen onions.The luminescent pink color of the shrimp with the green leaves，coupled with the fragrance of Longjing，won the emperor over.Thus this classic Hangzhou dish was born.
Some attach a poetic rather than imperial significance to the origin of this dish.Many credit the inspiration of Longjing shrimp to a poem written by Su Shi，the famous SongDynasty poet and gastronome.The verses have a fitting title，”Remembering South of the River”，which states:“Do not reminisce over the old country with old acquaintances；instead，build a new fire to brew new tea.Take advantage of your prime to enjoy poetry and wine.”The“new tea”in the poem refers to tea made from tea leaves picked within the year（usually early spring）.”New fire”is related to an ancient Chinese tradition called the Cold Food Festival，which falls right before the Qingming Festival.Asfire was banned during the Cold Food Festival，fire started for cooking after the festival was called“New Fire”.The poem was believed to inspire a Hangzhou chef to combine newly picked tea leaves with shrimp from the river.
Consisting mainly of fresh shrimp，the dish is perfect for detoxifying from the ill effects of summer.Rich in amino acids，Longjing tea lowers the body’s temperature and kills off bacteria.The river shrimp，which is highly nutritious，can strengthen the kidneys and improve circulation.River shrimp is a type of freshwater prawn.In the Compendium of Materia Medica，river shrimp，when peeled and served with ginger and vinegar on the side，are praised as a“delicacy among food”.
This aromatic delicacy was among the dishes that Premier Zhou Enlai prepared for President Nixon in Hangzhou during Nixon’s visit to China in 1972.Whether it’s the product of the Emperor Qianlong’s thieving or poetic nostalgia，Long jing shrimp has become a classic Hangzhou dish that you simply must try.
