At a glance
Dianqing is the Yunnan sun-dried green-tea reference in this encyclopedia. It is a processing and regional description rather than one named garden or cultivar. Sun-dried leaf can be raw material for further tea manufacture; that does not make every loose Dianqing packet an identical finished puerh product.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 滇青 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Yunnan; earlier southern and southwestern regional reference |
| Leaf form | Substantial, slightly curled green strands; sun-dried green context |
Taste and appearance
The old table describes intact, slightly curled strands, pale hairs in higher tiers and dark-green to green-yellow colour. Yellow-green liquor accompanies a full or strong cup, sometimes astringent. Its top aroma cell explicitly records a green, herbaceous note; this is retained rather than silently replaced with a floral fragrance.
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 | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Tight, intact, slightly curled; pale hairs | Fine, intact; pale hairs | Tight, intact, slightly curled; a few hairs |
| Dry-leaf colour | Dark green and lustrous | Green and lustrous | Green with slight yellow; fairly lustrous |
| Liquor | Yellow-green, clear and bright | Yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green, slightly bright |
| Aroma | Green or herbaceous note | Pure clean aroma | Pure clean aroma |
| Taste | Fairly strong | Strong, slightly astringent | Strong, slightly astringent |
| Infused leaves | Yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green, slightly bright | Yellow-green, slightly bright |
The three inherited sensory tiers are retained as an earlier editorial comparison. No complete current product-specific grade standard was verified for this table. They do not establish a universal ranking or certify a packet.
Names and origin
The original regional list includes Baoshan, Lincang, Xishuangbanna and Simao, an older administrative name associated with today’s Pu’er area. The entry is not a verified boundary for one protected product. Earlier seasonal names such as Chunjian, Chunzhong, Chunwei, Ershui and Guhua are retained as naming context, not a universal modern grade ladder. Reviewed tea-manufacture material identifies Dianqing with sun-dried green tea; the puerh definition separately requires specified material, processing and geographical scope.
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
It may suit someone exploring Dianqing through its described flavour and leaf form. Compare a complete packet method and an actual small sample, rather than treating a grade label or traditional reputation as a health recommendation.
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: heat-safe glass
The earlier method uses a heat-safe glass, 1:50 tea-to-water ratio and 85–90°C / 185–194°F water. It says to refill when about one-third of the liquid remains, and describes roughly three infusions/refills. It supplies no first steeping time. Keep the retained illustration’s method separate below.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 3 g Dianqing as an editorial arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 150 mL / about 5.1 US fl oz, measured water; 3 g at 1:50 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe glass with room for the leaves and actual water |
| Water temperature | 85–90°C / 185–194°F |
| First drinking infusion | No first steeping time recorded in the prose; follow a complete packet method |
| Refill | At about one-third liquid remaining; refilling is different from a full fresh measured batch |
These inherited directions and explicit ratio examples are awaiting hands-on testing. Nominal vessel capacity and a drawn fill fraction do not measure actual water. Three repeat cups is not a guarantee of equal strength. If leaves remain in the glass, extraction continues; transfer or strain if the cup becomes too strong. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
The original graphic specifies 3 g, 80–85°C / 176–185°F, 1:50 and a white porcelain gaiwan. The ratio implies 150 mL actual water by arithmetic. It describes three infusions and purified or mountain-spring water, but supplies no first steeping time, vessel capacity, fill fraction or tea-rinse step. Use potable water; the label does not verify the safety of an untreated spring. Keep this lower-temperature graphic separate from the old 85–90°C glass prose.
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
Check whether the seller means fresh-drinking loose green tea, maocha raw material or a finished puerh product. Ask for maker, processing, harvest and storage directions. Seasonal names do not replace a complete grade or product specification.
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 | 600 | 120 |
| Grade 1 | 400 | 80 |
| Grade 2 | 200 | 40 |
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 original method places green tea in a closed foil pouch, gently removes excess air, then puts the pouch inside a lidded iron or tin container upright for refrigerated storage, protected from light, moisture and smells. Check that a paper pouch is actually lined and moisture resistant; plain paper alone is not an airtight moisture barrier.
Its general reference was 12 months, with storage below 10°C / 50°F and below 50% relative humidity. It also described a cool, shaded room-temperature option for tea expected to be finished within two months. These are inherited conditions, not a verified expiry or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. Follow the actual maker’s label, package and specified conditions first.
In a UK or US kitchen
If following a product’s cold-storage directions, keep the pack sealed against fridge moisture and food smells, and let it warm while still sealed before opening. Keep a working portion away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, sunlight and spices; reseal after use. Do not apply a refrigerator recipe to another tea automatically. See storing an opened packet for handling.
The original green-tea handling note keeps a separate one-to-two-week working portion to avoid repeatedly warming and opening the bulk cold pack. Portion in dry conditions and seal each pack.
Identify the product before choosing storage
The inherited cold-storage directions above concern keeping this green-tea reference fresh. They are not an ageing method for every product made from sun-dried material. If the actual packet is sold as puerh or as material intended for further ageing, follow its maker’s product-specific directions; do not transfer the old refrigerator conditions or 12-month reference automatically. The process name alone cannot predict remaining shelf life.
Origin, processing and history
The retained graphic labels picking, heat fixing, sun drying, pan working, steaming and screening in one sequence. This is an incomplete and potentially misleading mixed-stage diagram: it omits rolling, and later steaming can belong to further manufacture rather than to every finished loose green tea. The reviewed manufacture reference describes sun-dried green tea through pan fixing, rolling and sun drying. Do not read the old map as a verified mandatory sequence for all Dianqing. The earlier mention of roasting tea supplies no complete household roasting recipe.
Common questions
Is every packet of loose Dianqing already the same finished tea as puerh?
No. Dianqing describes a sun-dried green-tea context. Specified sun-dried material can enter further puerh processing, but the finished product identity depends on its processing, origin and label. Fresh green-tea storage directions should not automatically be transferred to a packet sold for puerh ageing.
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 Nannuo Baihao, or browse the green 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.