XinYang Maojian Tea
What is Xinyang Maojian tea?
Xinyang Maojian Tea is one of China’s ten most famous teas and a specialty of Xinyang, a city in Henan Province. It has a long history. Its quality features include smooth and bright appearance, green tea water after brewing, and excellent taste.
Because Maojian tea is picked when it is still green, it is dried directly on a drying machine, retaining the green fragrance of the tea. Therefore, Maojian tea is loved by many people and has the title of “King of Green Tea”.
History of Maojian Green Tea
During the Tang Dynasty in Chinese history, tea began to flourish, and there was a special book that recorded tea. This book recorded that among the 13 provinces and 42 prefectures in the country at the time, Maojian tea was one of the eight major tea-producing areas. By the Song Dynasty, Xinyang Maojian green tea was nationally renowned; during the Qing Dynasty, Maojian development was even faster, with increased planting area and greatly improved production techniques. During the Republic of China, Maojian green tea was officially named “Xinyang Maojian”.
Quality Characteristics
- Shape: slender and round
- Color: green, smooth and clean, no impurities
- Aroma: green fragrance, fresh
- Taste: lightly bitter and slightly sweet aftertaste
Varieties of Maojian Tea
The Maojian tea varieties are mainly named according to the 24 solar terms in China, and they are divided into: Maojian tea before Qingming Festival, Guyu Maojian tea, spring-ending Maojian tea, summer Maojian tea, and white dew Maojian tea.
- Tea before Qingming Festival: It means that the first tender bud just sprouted before Qingming Festival is picked. It is 100% tender bud just sprouted.
- Guyu tea: Tea picked before Guyu arrives has a slightly stronger taste.
- Spring-ending tea: Tea picked before the end of spring. The biggest feature of this tea is that it is very easy to brew. The tea tastes good.
- Summer tea: Tea picked in summer has larger leaves and stronger taste. It is bitter.
- White dew tea: Tea picked before the arrival of the White Dew solar term. This tea is more durable than summer tea and has a milder taste.