At a glance
Houwang, often translated as Monkey King, is a jasmine-tea brand rather than a tea-tree cultivar. The exact product and grade matter more than treating the whole range as one recipe.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 猴王茉莉花茶 |
| Tea family | Scented tea |
| Associated origin | Hunan / Changsha brand association; verify packet manufacturing and ingredient origin |
| Leaf form | Branded jasmine-scented tea, with multiple named products |
Taste and appearance
The older comparison describes fairly sturdy tea strands, a pale-yellow or apricot-yellow cup and a fresh, strong jasmine aroma over a mellow, substantial taste. Those descriptions do not guarantee identical strength across the brand’s different products.
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 table) | Grade 1 (old table) |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Sturdy, substantial, fairly curved strands; even and weighty | Tight, plump, even and weighty strands |
| Dry colour | Yellow-brown with oily lustre | Yellow-brown with lustre |
| Liquor | Pale yellow or apricot-yellow, bright | Yellow and bright |
| Aroma | Fresh, rich, high and lasting | Fresh, rich and clean |
| Taste | Brisk, full, mellow and smooth with sweetness | Brisk, full and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Plump, tender, yellow-green and bright | Tender/even, yellow-green and evenly bright |
The inherited sensory table has two columns, while its price list has three. Keep that mismatch explicit; no missing Grade 2 sensory column is invented. The brand disclosure shows multiple named products, not a complete current standard matching this old comparison.
Names and origin
The historical cooperative-sector account links Houwang with the restructured Changsha tea enterprise and China Tea, while the company’s own disclosure identifies several Houwang jasmine products. This corroborates brand and jasmine-tea identity; it does not make every ingredient Changsha-grown or confirm a current manufacturing address for your packet. The old industry-first packaging and processing superlatives are not repeated without matched evidence.
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
Consider it if you enjoy a fairly substantial jasmine tea and want to compare a clearly named everyday product. A fragrant cup is not a treatment for mood or digestion.
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 or porcelain cup
The earlier method uses a heat-safe glass or porcelain cup, 1:50 tea-to-water ratio and 90–100°C / 194–212°F water. It says to refill when about one-third of the liquid remains and describes around three infusions/refills. It gives no first steeping time and no separate leaf rinse. Keep this prose distinct from the image below.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 3 g as an editorial arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 150 mL / about 5.1 US fl oz; measured water at 1:50 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe glass or porcelain cup with space for leaf expansion |
| Water temperature | 90–100°C / 194–212°F |
| First drinking infusion | No first time supplied in the prose; use a complete packet method |
| Refill | When around one-third remains; not the same as a fresh measured batch |
These inherited methods and arithmetic examples are awaiting hands-on testing. Nominal capacity and a drawn fill fraction do not measure actual water. Extraction continues while leaves remain in the cup; strain or transfer the tea if it becomes too strong. Repeat-cup counts are not a guarantee. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
Illustration method: heat-safe glass. 3 g, water labelled 85°C / 185°F, first to about one-third of the glass, gently swirl, then fill to about seven-tenths and leave 2–3 minutes before drinking. The drawing prints 1:50, but provides no measured actual water or vessel capacity; 3 g / 150 mL is only the ratio arithmetic. Warm the empty vessel separately; no leaf rinse is shown. Refill at about one-third remaining. The 85°C image method is distinct from the 90–100°C 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
Read the full product name and grade, date, manufacturer, ingredients and directions. Compare the weight of tea and actual retail format; do not equate an old grade price with a present branded product.
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 (old price list) | 450 | 90 |
| Grade 1 (old price list) | 300 | 60 |
| Grade 2 (old price list) | 190 | 38 |
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 earlier page calls for cool, dry storage away from light and strong smells, with the packet tightly closed. Keep the tea protected between uses; a ventilated room does not mean leaving dry tea uncovered.
In a UK or US kitchen
Reseal a clean, dry, food-safe pouch or container and keep it away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, sunlight and spice cupboards. Follow the actual maker’s best-before date and stated storage conditions; this review cannot assign a new shelf life to an opened packet.
Where the packet permits refrigeration, use a sealed moisture- and odour-resistant pack, and let it return to room temperature while still sealed before opening. The earlier cold-storage option is conditional, not a reason to put an open pouch in a damp food fridge or a guarantee of a longer safe life. See storing an opened packet.
The original handling options were a sealed foil pouch in a cool, dry room, or a sealed pouch inside another foil pouch or tin for refrigerated storage where appropriate. Do not expose it to fridge smells or moisture.
Origin, processing and history
The retained map shows tea-base drying and cooling, mixing tea with flowers, scenting, heat release, flower removal, reheating, cooling, final fragrance treatment, blending and packing. It illustrates a general jasmine process, not proof that every Houwang product follows exactly these stages. Company disclosure supports several product names; it does not independently establish the old first-in-China claims or every historical sensory statement.
Common questions
Is Houwang a tea variety or a brand?
It is treated here as a brand. Compare the precise product name, tea base, grade label, manufacturer and date; the same brand can sell several specifications and does not supply one universal cup strength.
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 Jasmine Tea, or browse the scented 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.