At a glance
Jinshan Shiyu is a green tea associated with Jixi in Anhui. This entry retains the older hair-bun-like curled comparison, while the reviewed regional requirements also describe an orchid-shaped form. Timely Rain is a name, not a promise about a particular harvest’s weather.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 金山时雨 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Jixi, Xuancheng, Anhui; Shangzhuang / Jinshan association |
| Leaf form | Tight curls resembling a hair bun in the inherited table; orchid form also occurs |
Taste and appearance
The earlier table describes tight even curls, jade-green oily lustre, clean tender-green liquor and high floral fragrance. Mellow brisk taste has returning sweetness in the upper comparisons. Orchid-like or floral fragrance does not imply flowers were added.
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 | Tight even curls resembling a hair bun | Tight curls, fairly even, hair-bun-like | Tight curls, fairly even, hair-bun-like |
| Dry-leaf colour | Jade green and oily-lustrous, subdued hairs | Jade green, fairly oily-lustrous, subdued hairs | Jade green, fairly oily-lustrous |
| Liquor | Tender green, clear, fresh and bright | Tender green and clear, fairly fresh-looking | Tender green and clear |
| Aroma | Floral, high, long and lasting | Floral, high and long | High and long |
| Taste | Mellow and brisk, returning sweetness | Mellow and brisk, some returning sweetness | Mellow and brisk |
| Infused leaves | Tender yellow, even, bright and lively | Tender yellow, fairly lively | Tender yellow |
The old three-tier comparison describes the hair-bun form. Reviewed requirements also cover an orchid form, so this is neither the full form catalogue nor a complete verified current grade table.
Names and origin
Reviewed requirements name eight Jixi towns/townships and suitable local plants including Jinshan and Zhuye material and selected clones. Earlier Shangzhuang/Jinshan village context is not the sole product scope. The heritage account independently describes the curled tradition, but exact brand/naming dates are reported history rather than newly inspected original records. The earlier article’s Seven Bowls poem was wrongly presented as Hu Shi’s own verse: its author is the Tang poet Lu Tong. A separate claim that Hu Shi gifted this specific tea has not been independently authenticated here.
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 Jinshan Shiyu through its described form and flavour. Start with a small traceable packet and its complete directions rather than a health or ranking 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 Jinshan Shiyu 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 warms a heat-safe glass, then uses 3 g, 85°C / 185°F and 1:50, implying 150 mL actual water by arithmetic. Add water to one-third, gently swirl, fill to seven-tenths and wait 2–3 minutes before drinking. Refill at about one-third remaining; roughly three infusions are described. Vessel capacity and a separate tea rinse are not specified. A drawn fill fraction does not measure actual water independently.
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 growing source, maker, harvest, ingredients and any claimed mark authorisation. A translated name, inherited image or sensory comparison does not authenticate a packet.
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 | 450 | 90 |
| Grade 1 | 300 | 60 |
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 retained map labels picking, spreading, heat fixing, rolling, rough forming (zuo pi), cooling, shaping, cooling, final drying and removal of broken pieces. Reviewed requirements distinguish hair-bun and orchid routes; the heritage account also separates further working stages. This inherited map is not silently extended into a universal recipe for both forms. The misattributed Seven Bowls poem is corrected to Lu Tong; it is cultural literature, not a clinical claim or evidence of this tea’s ancient unchanged manufacture.
Common questions
Is Jinshan Shiyu always curled, and did Hu Shi write the Seven Bowls poem?
No. The reviewed requirements also describe an orchid-shaped form. The Seven Bowls passage is by Lu Tong, not Hu Shi; a famous literary connection does not certify a packet or one unchanging tea form.
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 Jingting Lvxue, 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.