Longjing prawns, also known as
shrimp stir-fried with Dragon Well tea, is a specialty of
Hangzhou City,
Zhejiang Province, produced using the meat of live
river prawns coated with egg white and moistened starch, fried in
lard at a medium-low temperature for 15 seconds, removed from the oil and drained when jade-white in colour, and then quickly stir-fried over extreme heat with boiling water infused with
Longjing tea, tea leaves and
Shaoxing wine. This dish consists primarily of white and green colours; the colours are elegant and the flavour is light and fragrant. According to legend it arose when the
Qing emperor
Qianlong visited the
south of China. Hangzhou's famous
Louwailou restaurant is a well-known producer of Longjing prawns.