At a glance
Emei Maofeng is associated with Fengming in Ya’an, Sichuan, despite the Emei name. A reviewed local oral history explains that the earlier Fengming Maofeng name was changed for recognition. This should not be confused with a claim that every lot grew on Mount Emei.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 峨眉毛峰 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Fengming / Yucheng, Ya’an, Sichuan |
| Leaf form | Fine, tight, evenly curled green strands with visible hairs |
Taste and appearance
The retained table describes fine, tight, evenly curled strands, visible hairs and elegant silvery buds, fresh tender-green colour and green liquor with a yellow tint. High, clean, fresh or tender fragrance accompanies a full, brisk, sweet and mellow cup. The photo and table are references, not a recorded TeaPlain tasting.
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 | Fine, tight, evenly curled, fresh-looking hairs and elegant silvery buds | Fine, tight, evenly curled and even, visible hairs | Evenly curled, fairly visible hairs |
| Dry-leaf colour | Fresh lustrous tender green | Fresh lustrous tender green | Tender green, fairly fresh and lustrous |
| Liquor | Green with a slight yellow tint | Yellowish green | Green |
| Aroma | High, clean, fresh and pleasant fragrance | High, lasting tender fragrance | High, lasting tender fragrance |
| Taste | Full, brisk, sweet and mellow | Full and brisk, fairly sweet and mellow | Fresh and brisk, returning sweetness |
| Infused leaves | Even, tender green and bright | Even, lively and bright | Even and lively, fairly bright |
The three original sensory tiers are retained as an earlier editorial comparison, not a verified current specification for every maker.
Names and origin
The older article credits Qian Yufeng with searching for tea land around Fengming and Guihua in Ya’an. A separate first-person oral history from former local trade official Deng Zhongwen describes development near Guihua in Fengming, now within Caoba Town, Yucheng, and renaming Fengming Maofeng as Emei Maofeng. The provincial historical text also lists a Ya’an Emei-brand Maofeng. These support the Ya’an association; the earlier individual-founder story is retained as attribution, not proof that one person alone created all current products.
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 Emei Maofeng for its described aroma, flavour and leaf form. Compare the actual packet and complete preparation rather than a historical ranking or therapeutic promise.
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 Emei Maofeng 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 graphic gives two separate 3 g preparations. Glass: warm with boiling water and discard it, add tea, pour 85°C / 185°F water to one-third to smell the aroma, fill to seven-tenths and wait 3 minutes. Gaiwan: warm and empty, add 3 g, rinse with 85°C water to release aroma, then make a fresh 85°C infusion and decant after 15 seconds. Neither gives actual water or vessel capacity; the rinse duration is absent. This retained leaf rinse is not validated decontamination. Do not combine the glass timing with the gaiwan method.
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 the actual Ya’an locality, maker, harvest, leaf form and packet grade. The earlier claim that the process never changed conflicts with accounts of later production differences; do not use it as a universal guarantee or claim an untested top-ten-equivalent ranking.
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 | 420 | 84 |
| Grade 1 | 360 | 72 |
| Grade 2 | 230 | 46 |
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.
Origin, processing and history
The map shows picking, spreading, cooling, heat fixing, rolling and drying. The earlier account emphasises baking-oriented green-tea work, while the provincial historical description supplies more alternating heating and rolling stages. This abbreviated diagram should not be presented as proof that every maker’s process has remained unchanged.
Common questions
Does the name Emei Maofeng prove the tea grew on Mount Emei?
No. The retained profile and reviewed historical accounts associate this named product with Fengming in Ya’an. The renaming story is distinct from a garden-origin statement. Ask where the actual packet grew.
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 Emei Xueya, 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.