At a glance
Gougunao is a Jiangxi green tea named after Gougunao Mountain in Suichuan. The name is retained in pinyin for recognition; it is not an animal ingredient. The older collection also records Shishan tea and Yushan tea as recognition names.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 狗牯脑（石山茶、玉山茶） |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Tanghu, Suichuan, Ji’an, Jiangxi, in the original core-origin account |
| Leaf form | Fine, tender curled green strands with visible hairs |
Taste and appearance
The inherited comparison describes fine, tender curls, elegant and even clean leaf with hairs, green or dark-green dry colour, bright apricot-green or yellow-green liquor and a high tender floral or clean fragrance. The cup is fresh, mellow and sweet, sometimes with returning sweetness or a fuller brisk taste. Infused material is tender, lively and green. This is an old sensory comparison rather than a current product test.
The original infused-leaf 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 | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Fine, tender curls, elegant, even and clean | Fine, tight, slightly curled, even and clean | Fine, tight, slightly curled, fairly even and clean |
| Dry-leaf colour | Pale green with hairs | Dark green with abundant hairs | Lustrous green |
| Liquor | Apricot-green and bright | Apricot-green and bright | Yellow-green and bright |
| Aroma | High, sharp tender fragrance with floral notes | High, rich clean fragrance with a lingering scent | Lasting clean fragrance |
| Taste | Fresh, mellow and sweet | Mellow with returning sweetness | Fresh, full and brisk |
| Infused leaves | Tender green and lively | Tender green and even | Yellow-green and even |
The Grade 2 shape’s apparent Chinese typo is read as slightly curled in context. The sensory Extra grade column and the price list’s Zhenpin label are preserved without claiming equivalence.
Names and origin
The source names Gougunao Mountain in Tanghu, Suichuan, within the Luoxiao mountain area. A named producer’s heritage profile and a separate ministry regional-development account both connect the tea with Suichuan/Tanghu and report the 1915 award tradition. Those records are not a direct examination of a 1915 original award certificate, and an inherited award story does not certify a current packet. The regional product and a particular company’s brand are related but should not be conflated.
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 a curled Jiangxi green tea with fresh, floral or chestnut-like notes. A famous local tea name or a historical story does not make it a cure or guarantee every packet is made entirely by hand.
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 Gougunao 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 drawing uses 80°C / 176°F water at about one-third of a glass, then 3 g at a stated 1:50 ratio, a quick discard of the first water, fresh 80°C water to seven-tenths and about 2 minutes before drinking. It mentions three infusions and refill at one-third remaining. The ratio arithmetically implies 150 mL actual water, but capacity and water in each stage are absent. The inherited rinse is not validated decontamination and must not be silently merged with the prose 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
Ask for the actual producer and garden locality, harvest and grade. Distinguish the geographical product from a particular brand’s history. The top inherited price tier is Zhenpin, a premium product label, while the top sensory column is Extra grade; compare the actual pack instead of silently treating those as identical.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Zhenpin (premium label) | 650 | 130 |
| Grade 1 | 350 | 70 |
| 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.
Zhenpin is the source’s top price label. It has not been silently renamed Extra grade or verified as equivalent to the table’s top sensory tier.
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 original map visibly repeats the heat-fixing label in two adjacent boxes before rolling. A named producer’s fuller account instead lists picking, spreading, heat fixing, first rolling, a second heating stage, further rolling, shaping/bringing out hairs and final drying. The old repeated boxes are retained as printed, not taken as proof that every producer repeats an identical operation twice in immediate succession. Modern machinery and handwork can vary.
Common questions
Does a historic gold-medal story grade the tea in my packet?
No. Historical recognition is background, not a test of the current lot. Check producer, origin, picking, harvest and packet grade. The old price label Zhenpin and the sensory table’s Extra grade are not automatically one verified equivalence.
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 Lushan Yunwu, 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.