Xinyang Maojian is one of the few teas from Central China, supposedly has a history of over 2,000 years and was mentioned in Lu Yu’s “The Classic of Tea” written during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Personally, I wasn’t as inspired. After seeing so many green teas that are vibrant and dance around the glass, this tea is flat and just sits at the bottom.

More Information (from Baidu Baike):

Xinyang maojian is a type of green tea from Henan Province in China. The tea plantations are scattered across the mountainous regions with an average altitude of 500 to 800 meters. Xinyang maojian has a shorter harvest than teas from Zhejiang, Anhui and Fujian Provinces due to the cooler climate in Henan. Every winter, the mountains are covered by snow. Most of the plants have withered while Xinyang maojian tea trees firmly withstand the harsh weather, gaining it the reputation of one of China’s toughest teas.

The tea leaves are small and roundish, covered by a layer of white coat. Once brewed, the liquid has an intense green color. The fragrance is lingering, flavor robust. One might even find it bitter during the first brew, but the flavor eases and transforms into a mild sweetness with each subsequent brew.

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• Taobao Vendor

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Grown in Southwestern China’s Mount Emei, Zhuyeqing tea is branded green tea (brand website). After seeing so many poorly presented, formerly state-owned brands it is nice to see a tea that understands design is part of the overall experience. Zhuyeqing is a refreshing green tea with noticeable grassy undertones.

More Information (from Baidu Baike):

Zhuyeqing is a type of green tea from Emei Mountain in Sichuan Province. Blessed by natural conditions great for the growth of tea, the region is home to several other types of tea too. But Zhuyeqing is the most well-known. Unlike most types of teas in China, Zhuyeqing is both a kind of tea and a brand name. It is also a relatively young breed pioneered in the 1960′s. The company that owns the trademark rights to Zhuyeqing has done a great job of marketing the tea, making it the most iconic tea from Sichuan. However, the line between tea type and brand names has become quite murky over the years. A lot of Zhuyeqing on the market is not produced by the eponymous tea company, but a variety of competitors. Moreover, many consumers do not even know that Zhuyeqing is a trademarked brand. They see it as a type of tea instead.

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Other Sources & Links:

• Taobao Vendor

Wuyuan Mingmei is from Wuyuan village in Jiangxi, which has been crowned China’s most beautiful village. It is famous for its local Huizhou culture and idyllic scenery (images). Due to the remoteness of the village and inconvenient transportation links, the village has retained its architectural charm (structures were built in 740 during the Tang Dynasty) and traditional lifestyle.

I did not do this tea justice. The 29 RMB price tag for 50 grams should have been a clear sign that this vendor was selling a lower grade tea. On arrival, the cheap packaging and the broken tea leaves only further reinforced the impression of poor quality. Comparing my purchase to the images on this page, I clearly bought poorly. While this points to one of the potential pitfalls of ordering tea on Taobao without seeing it in person, the price tag should have been a clear indication to what I was buying. It is also a good lesson that to fully enjoy the tea experience and have a good first impression one should buy high quality tea!

More Information (from Baidu Baike):

Wuyuan mingmei is a type of green tea native to Wuyuan County in Jiangxi Province. The village is widely hailed as the most scenic of China’s countryside. The name mingmei literally means “eyebrow tea”. It describes the shape of the tea, which resembles a beautiful woman’s eyebrow, long and thin with a perfect arch. Wuyuan mingmei has a very thin layer of white hair on the surface. Once brewed, the liquid is a light green with a tinge of golden sheen. The taste is fresh and somewhat intense, but not bitter. The finish is refreshing and crisp.

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Other Sources & Links:

• The Story of Tea
• Taobao Vendor
• Dragon Tea House

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Taiping Houkui, or Monkey King, is a popular tea both inside and outside of China. It is a ‘dramatic’ green tea with very large tea leaves that can be as long as 15cm long.
Much of this tea’s popularity outside of China was originally due to the fact in won a Gold Medal at the Panama Pacific Exhibition (held in order to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal) which was held in San Francisco in 1915 (this tea first hit the market in 1900). Inside China, this tea was award the 茶王 (king of tea) prize at the 2004 China International Tea Expo held in Anhui.

Personally, I found Taiping Houkui a nice compliment to the other great Anhui teas (Maofeng, Liuan Guapian, Qimen Hongcha, etc.) that I have already discovered on this Taobao Tea Trail. This tea should definitely be sampled just to see the size of the tea leaves alone!

More Information (from Baidu Baike):

Taiping houkui is a type of green tea native to the regions near Yellow Mountain in Anhui Province. The tea leaves are strikingly long, around 5cm and lean. They are very flat and straight as well. The color is a darker green with a very subtle red hue. When brewed, the liquid is a light and clear green. The tea leaves become larger, almost like a flower petal. Taiping houkui has a very pleasant aromoa that is mellow and reminiscent of orchirds, making it a very soothing tea.

Like many kinds of teas, Taiping houkui has undergone evolution in its production process. The current techniques result in teas that look beautiful, with evenly sized long flat leaves. However, the aroma is weaker compared to teas made using the old techniques. Taiping houkui produced using the old techniques often lacks the aesthetic consistency, because the leaves tend to be of varying sizes and slightly different shapes.

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Other Sources & Links:

• Taobao Vendor
• The Story of Tea
• Hojo Tea
• Seven Cups
• Amazing Green Tea

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Gunpowder is a ‘fun’ tea and one of the most famous green teas outside of China. The tea leaves are rolled into small pellets which gives the tea its ‘gunpowder’ moniker and also the functional benefits of making the tea easier to ship and preserving the fresh flavor of the tea leave because of the compactness of the leaves. Wikipedia also suggests:

The origin of the English term may come from the Mandarin Chinese term gāng paò de (剛泡的), simply meaning ‘freshly brewed’, which sounds like the English word ‘gunpowder’.

Tea Tip – Morrocan Tea Culture

Gunpowder Tea was one of the first teas exported out of China in the 17th Century and is currently exported to more than 40 countries. One of the largest importers of Gunpowder Tea is Morocco which reportedly imported more than $56 million worth of this tea in the first half of 2006. Gunpowder tea has been the foundation of North African Touareg tea since the 18th Century. Typically this tea is made with the process below:

• In a teapot, combine two teaspoons of tea-leaf with half a litre of boiling water. Allow it to steep for at least fifteen minutes.
• Without stirring, filter the mixture into a different stainless steel pot, so that the tea leaves and coarse powder are removed.
• Add sugar (about one teaspoon per decilitre).
• Bring to boil over a medium heat. This important step in the preparation process allows the sugar to undergo hydrolysis, giving the tea its distinctive taste.
• If desired, add fresh mint leaves to the teapot or directly to the cup. Remember to remove the mint within two minutes, as it can give some people acid reflux.

Personally, while I do feel there are better green teas available (and also likely why the Chinese don’t hold this tea in the same esteem as foreigners) Gunpowder is fun for the explosive nature of how the rolled balls expand into full leaves when brewed and also because it was an early cultural export of China to North Africa and Europe – we all should be drinking more green tea! Gunpowder tea has also inspired poetry and Indie rock bands.

More Information (from Baidu Baike):

Gunpowder tea or Pingshui pearl tea is a type of green tea from Zhejiang Province. The tea leaves are curled up into small beads, resembling pearls, thus the name. It is also a widely exported green tea from China. Gunpowder tea is produced in many mountainous locales in Zhejiang. The large amount of production combined with a fragrant and comforting taste make gunpowder tea a popular everyday tea for the locals. In early 17th century, merchants started to export small amount of gunpowder tea to Europe. In the following centuries, the route would expand to North and West Africa, as well as North America.

Gunpowder tea is quite forgiving when it comes to brewing. Water temperature does not need to be as precise as with many other types of green teas such as Longjing or Biluochun. One can use boiling water right off the kettle to brew the tea. Once brewed, the tea leaves will expand, transforming from pearl shapes into large loose leaves. The tea also keeps its flavor well, enduring many more brews than most other types of green teas.

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Other Sources & Links:

• The Story of Tea
• Taobao Vendor

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