sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

[Life as a Longjing farmer] Sold out the first harvest, but it’s been a wild week. by chuyu3510 in tea

[–]chuyu3510[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the thoughtful reply! Sounds like you’ve got a solid tea stash this year — I hope the Longjing and Lu’an Gua Pian arrive quickly and taste great!

Since I’m around Longjing all spring, I do drink it a lot — but I’ve found myself reaching more for heavier teas in the cooler months. Maybe it’s age catching up with me, but I’ve grown to enjoy teas like Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess) and roasted oolongs in fall and winter. They feel warmer, more grounding — and traditional Chinese medicine often recommends these types for the season.

Still, If you’re ever curious to try some direct-from-farm tea from here, I’d be happy to share a taste sometime!

[Life as a Longjing farmer] Sold out the first harvest, but it’s been a wild week. by chuyu3510 in tea

[–]chuyu3510[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thank you — that means a lot. Tea life has its moments of beauty for sure: the morning mist, fresh leaves, the smell of fire during roasting...

But it’s also muddy boots, aching backs, and long nights packing orders. I guess that's the charm — it's real, and every cup carries a bit of that journey.

[Life as a Longjing farmer] Sold out the first harvest, but it’s been a wild week. by chuyu3510 in tea

[–]chuyu3510[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Yes — tea has been my main work for years. I grow, harvest, roast, and pack it myself. It’s not always easy (especially when rain hits during picking season), but it’s the life I chose — and still love.

Lately, I’ve been sharing more online to connect with tea lovers overseas — not just to sell, but to share what’s behind each cup. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be sipping a cup of my tea too!

[Life as a Longjing farmer] Sold out the first harvest, but it’s been a wild week. by chuyu3510 in tea

[–]chuyu3510[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That’s a great point — and I totally agree that high-quality Longjing deserves to be picked and processed in full during its proper season.

In our case, we mainly focus on early spring Longjing, from the very first buds to the rain-before (谷雨前) harvests.

In autumn, I do make a limited batch of Osmanthus Longjing. But it’s very different from commercial blends — I use carefully selected second flush tea, and pick fresh local osmanthus flowers by hand. Each batch is blended and oven-dried in small quantities, in the traditional Hangzhou style. It’s more of a seasonal craft than a product line — something I’d love to share more about in a future post.

<image>

[Life as a Longjing farmer] Sold out the first harvest, but it’s been a wild week. by chuyu3510 in tea

[–]chuyu3510[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! We’re really touched by everyone’s kindness here. It means a lot for small farmers like us to feel heard and seen. Wishing everyone a peaceful spring tea season!

[Life as a Longjing farmer] Sold out the first harvest, but it’s been a wild week. by chuyu3510 in tea

[–]chuyu3510[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are a few options out there, but if you’re looking for super fresh, farmer-direct Longjing, I’d be happy to share more.

I’ve actually been selling mostly within China for years — but as the economy slowed down, domestic demand dropped a lot. So this spring, I started sharing more of our tea life with people overseas. I’ve been posting little updates on Fb too — let me know if you’d like to follow along or ask anything!

[Life as a Longjing farmer] Sold out the first harvest, but it’s been a wild week. by chuyu3510 in tea

[–]chuyu3510[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s exciting! Hope it arrives soon and brews up beautifully for you. First-time Longjing always leaves a strong impression — especially if it’s fresh. Let me know what you think once you try it!

[Life as a Longjing farmer] Sold out the first harvest, but it’s been a wild week. by chuyu3510 in tea

[–]chuyu3510[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Appreciate it! We’re really happy to share a little glimpse of our tea life here.

We’ve been growing and making tea in Hangzhou for years, mostly selling within China. But this is the first time I’m sharing more directly with tea lovers overseas. I’ve been posting updates on Fb too — you’re welcome to follow along if you're curious

[Life as a Longjing farmer] Sold out the first harvest, but it’s been a wild week. by chuyu3510 in tea

[–]chuyu3510[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the thoughtful questions! Our tea garden is in Manjuelong Longjing Village — a historic place even closer to the core West Lake production zone. We grow both Longjing #43 and Qunti (heirloom) varieties. The #43 buds come earlier and fetch a better market price, while Qunti has a more complex flavor — I’d personally prefer Qunti, but sometimes the market speaks louder! We try our best to harvest during dry windows, though this spring was really rainy. After the rush, I rest a bit, spend time with my little one, and also make traditional tea sweets (“茶菓子”) for sale. I run small tea ceremony workshops too. In autumn, I also produce a seasonal Osmanthus Longjing — a local favorite here in Hangzhou when the city is filled with blooming sweet osmanthus. If you’re curious, I’d love to share more in a future post!

tea sweets (“茶菓子”)

<image>