At a glance
Cat-Ear is a trade name associated with small, rounded Yibang tea leaves. It is useful for identifying a marketed material, but the nickname alone does not prove a registered cultivar, exact garden or ancient-tree age.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 猫耳朵普洱茶 |
| Tea family | Pu-erh tea |
| Associated origin | Yibang area, Mengla, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, as the trade association |
| Leaf form | Small-leaf material marketed loose or pressed; not one exclusive shape |
Taste and appearance
The introduction describes small dark-brown leaves, a relatively gentle cup with balanced bitterness/astringency, modest body, lasting sweet return and an elegant orchid-like fragrance. The old cake comparison separately describes lustrous dark green material, a bright golden cup, floral/honey sweetness and a fine lively texture. These differing old descriptions are not merged into a universal promise of a thick or bitterness-free cup. The cup photo reused for another tea is withheld.
The original liquor photograph is withheld because identical pixels were assigned to another tea name. Its named identity could not be confirmed; the original file is preserved.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade (old comparison) | Grade 1 (old comparison) |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Regular cake, plump substantial material, small buds and short leaf strands | Regular cake, plump substantial material, small buds and short leaf strands |
| Dry colour | Lustrous dark green | Lustrous dark green |
| Liquor | Bright golden | Fairly bright golden |
| Aroma | Lasting floral/honey and sweet impression | Distinct floral/honey |
| Taste | Smooth clear fine lively texture; light bitterness/astringency described as quick-fading, long sweet return | Mellow clear fine lively texture; light quick-fading bitterness/astringency and lingering sweet return |
| Infused leaves | Small leaves, few buds, tender and flexible | Small leaves, few buds and even tenderness |
Only two old tiers were supplied. The table concerns a cake example, not all loose and pressed Cat-Ear tea. No registered cultivar, national tiny-leaf grade or universal ancient-tree identity is verified.
Names and origin
Mao Er Duo means cat’s ear. Independent sellers associate the name with small round Yibang leaves, while their terminology varies between a variety and a variation. No registration or genetic identification was obtained for this article: the trade name does not establish that all products share one formally recognised cultivar or that no similar leaf can occur elsewhere. The old Yibang association is retained without making the nickname a protected-origin certificate. Check the actual process; the old blanket ripe-tea label conflicts with raw-style material sold under this name.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
For drinkers exploring a clearly identified Yibang raw-style tea and small-leaf sensory comparisons. Expect the actual lot to matter; a gentle description does not mean every preparation has no bitterness.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: glass vessel with full separation
The original says heat-safe glass, 1:18, 100°C / 212°F, moisten/rinse the leaves, then pour off the drinking infusion after 10 seconds. It mentions more than ten infusions, a possibility rather than a guarantee. No duration or water volume is given for the initial moistening/rinse. Use heat-safe teaware with a strainer or another way to separate all the liquid promptly.
| Detail | Original prose with explicit ratio arithmetic |
|---|---|
| Tea | 5 g loosened from the compressed tea, an arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 90 mL / about 3 US fl oz measured actual water at 1:18 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe glass brewing vessel with a safe way to strain/decant fully |
| Water | 100°C / 212°F |
| Initial moistening/rinse | Mentioned, but no time or water amount specified |
| First drinking infusion | 10 seconds, then separate the tea liquor |
| Later infusions | Adjust to the actual leaves; more than ten is not guaranteed |
The 5 g / 90 mL example is arithmetic, not a measurement from a picture. These inherited directions are awaiting hands-on testing. Vessel capacity, water poured and liquid recovered are different quantities. Keep the original gaiwan illustration below separate. Take a measured portion, rather than steeping a whole cake, brick or large tuo in a mug, and let the drink cool enough to sip. A rinse is not a means of making mouldy tea suitable to drink.
Read the original illustration separately
Illustration: gaiwan, same general method as the bamboo-tea image. Gently loosen a portion, weigh about 8 g for a 120 mL gaiwan, warm and rinse/wet the leaves, then infuse and decant after 3–5 seconds, extending time after five infusions. Actual water, numerical temperature, rinse duration and rinse disposal are not given. The 120 mL is capacity; it does not establish a measured ratio or validate the separate prose’s 1:18. If the product is loose, the illustrated cake-loosening stage does not apply.
For ordinary teaware options, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep each complete method together instead of selecting temperature, dose and time from different preparations.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Ask for named garden/source evidence, maker, harvest, raw/ripe processing, storage and packet directions. Separate seller rarity, exclusive-cultivar and ancient-tree claims from what a photo actually shows.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade | 1,050 | 210 |
| Grade 1 | 700 | 140 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
How to store
Original storage method
The old method describes conditional long-term storage, with duration depending on the tea, processing and actual storage history. It uses a clean, odour-free, shaded, relatively ventilated place, a clean carton or kraft bag without fully sealing the outer package, and original bamboo-shell wrapping where supplied. It keeps tea on shelving above floor level, away from walls, separates different types and batches, and checks it every few months.
Its targets are below 25°C / 77°F and below 70% relative humidity. These are inherited environmental references, not a validated universal ageing optimum, a target humidity to create, or a guarantee of remaining life. A partly closed carton is appropriate only where the surrounding conditions are clean, dry and suitable; it is not protection from a damp room. Follow the actual label and its specified conditions first.
In a UK or US kitchen
Choose a dry, stable place away from the stove, dishwasher steam, sunlight, spices, chemicals and food smells. Ventilation does not mean leaving tea exposed on a worktop or near an open damp window. Protect both the bulk pack and a small working portion from moisture and contamination. Do not deliberately humidify tea to imitate a factory fermentation pile. Check condition as well as dates; reject obvious mould, water damage or abnormal mustiness rather than trying to rinse it away. Long-term keeping is conditional, not a promise that every tea improves indefinitely. See storing opened tea.
Origin, processing and history
The shared illustration shows picking, withering/spreading, fixation, rolling, sun-drying, pressing, drying and packing. It is a simplified sheng-style sequence; the second drying is labelled sun-drying in the picture, not a rule for every producer. GB/T 22111 distinguishes making sun-dried tea from refining, steaming/pressing, drying and packing sheng. The picture does not demonstrate a particular harvest, old-tree origin or brand, and is not a shou pile-fermentation map. This shared raw-style schematic is not a record of a named Yibang harvest or a cultivar test. Loose material does not undergo every cake-pressing step; verify the form and process of the actual packet.
Common questions
Does a tiny leaf prove authentic ancient-tree Cat-Ear tea?
No. Leaf size and the nickname do not authenticate a growing site, tree age or cultivar. Request maker and lot details, processing and storage, and judge the actual cup instead of buying rarity claims alone.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Nominal capacity or a fill fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Sheng Puerh, or browse the pu-erh tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.