At a glance
Guzhang Maojian is a green tea named for Guzhang County in Hunan’s Wuling mountain area. Maojian refers to the fine, downy-tip style. It is not the same regional product as Xinyang Maojian or a black tea simply because another local tea also comes from Guzhang.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 古丈毛尖 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Guzhang County, Xiangxi, Hunan |
| Leaf form | Fine, tight, rounded or straight strands with visible white hairs |
Taste and appearance
The old comparison describes fine, tight, rounded straight strands, visible white hairs, a green dry appearance, pale-green or yellow-green bright liquor and a high, lasting tender or chestnut-like fragrance. The cup is fresh, sweet, mellow and brisk, with tender, even, bright green infused material. The descriptions preserve the original comparison rather than grading a packet or certifying one tasted lot.
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 | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Fine, tight, rounded and straight, white hairs visible, even and clean | Tight, visible hairs, even and clean | Tight strands, visible hairs |
| Dry-leaf colour | Subdued green | Green | Lustrous green |
| Liquor | Pale green and bright | Pale green and bright | Yellow-green and bright |
| Aroma | Tender fragrance, high, sharp and lasting | High, lasting tender fragrance | High, lasting chestnut-like fragrance |
| Taste | Fresh, brisk, sweet and mellow | Mellow and brisk | Mellow and brisk |
| Infused leaves | Tender and even, pale green and bright | Fairly tender and even, pale green and bright | Fairly even, yellow-green and fairly bright |
The inherited sensory comparison is retained without claiming to reproduce the full current geographical-indication specification or authenticating a packet from its hairs.
Names and origin
The old source lists twelve townships under an earlier administrative description, including Guyang, Shuangxi, Morong, Pingba, Shanzao, Hepeng, Gaowangjie, Gaofeng, Luoyixi, Hongshilin, Duanlongshan and Yantouzhai. Keep that as the source’s historical scope rather than a newly checked list of current township names. Standards metadata confirms a distinct Guzhang Maojian processing document, and an identified regional tea operator describes a fuller green-tea sequence than the short inherited map. Neither source certifies your packet.
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 fine-stranded Hunan green tea with fresh, tender or chestnut-like notes. A prized-tea description is not a disease-treatment claim, a universal ranking or proof of a fixed caffeine amount.
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 Guzhang Maojian 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 gives 3 g, 80–85°C / 176–185°F water and a 1:50 ratio, which implies 150 mL actual water by arithmetic. It names a glass or porcelain gaiwan and three claimed infusions, but supplies no first steeping time or vessel capacity. Do not silently add the prose’s higher temperature range or a time from another tea to complete this graphic.
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 actual growing locality, maker, harvest, picking and product grade. Treat the old twelve-township wording as historical context and confirm present traceability separately. Check the exact standard stated on the packet rather than assuming the short webpage table is a complete compliance test.
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 | 350 | 70 |
| Grade 2 | 240 | 48 |
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 original short map shows picking, heat fixing, a second pan-heating stage, strand forming and finishing from the pan. It omits operations present in a fuller regional account, including spreading, rolling and repeated heating. Keep it as an abbreviated green-tea illustration rather than a complete maker’s schedule or a black-tea sequence.
Common questions
Can I identify authentic Guzhang Maojian just from a downy tip?
Down and a fine strand are appearance clues, not proof of county origin or a current authorised product. Check the producer, origin, harvest and packet specification. Other regions also make teas called Maojian.
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 Baojing Huangjincha, 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.