At a glance
Jiukeng Maojian is the green-tea entry associated with Jiukeng in Chun’an. Jiukeng can also name plant material and a wider regional tea product; those uses should not be treated as interchangeable.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 鸠坑毛尖 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Jiukeng, Chun’an, Hangzhou, Zhejiang; wider Jiukeng Tea context |
| Leaf form | Substantial, mostly straight green shoots with fine hairs |
Taste and appearance
The earlier table describes substantial straight shoots, obvious hairs in the upper tiers and a slight curve in the lower one. Upper liquor is clear yellow-green; chestnut-like aroma appears in the top cell. Flavour ranges from full fresh briskness to fresh mellowness, without implying added chestnuts.
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 | Substantial and straight, visible hairs | Substantial and straight, visible hairs | Substantial and straight, slightly curved |
| Dry-leaf colour | Tender green | Tender green | Green |
| Liquor | Yellow-green, bright and clear | Tender green and bright | Tender green |
| Aroma | Clean, high and lasting, roasted-chestnut-like | Clean and lasting | Clean |
| Taste | Full, fresh and brisk | Full-bodied and pleasant | Fresh and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Yellow-green, tender and even | Yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green |
These are inherited sensory comparisons, not a verified complete current standard or a certificate for a particular packet.
Names and origin
The reviewed Jiukeng Tea requirements cover a wider regional product, naming 23 towns and townships and 425 villages in that document, with population material and derived cultivars and both curled and flat forms. This is broader than this Maojian page alone. The old seasonal labels Maojian, Yuqian and Chaoqing are not adopted as three universal formal grades. In particular, the earlier all-bud, stemless statement is not an all-product requirement: the heritage account describes an opening one-bud-one-leaf picking for this practice. A current local science account separately distinguishes early cultivars from the later population harvest.
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 Jiukeng Maojian through its described flavour and leaf form. Start with a traceable small packet and its complete brewing instructions rather than a health 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 Jiukeng 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 graphic first puts 85°C / 185°F water in the empty glass to one-third, then adds 3 g of tea. It explicitly discards the first infusion as a quick tea rinse; the diagram supplies no rinse duration or measured discard volume. Fresh water for the drinking infusion is 80°C / 176°F, filled to seven-tenths, with a wait of about 2 minutes. Its 1:50 ratio implies 150 mL actual water for a measured 3 g drinking batch, not a measured rinse volume. Refill at one-third remaining; roughly three infusions are described. Capacity is unspecified. Keep the 85°C initial step and 80°C drinking water distinct.
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 Chun’an growing source, maker, harvest and actual picking description. A Jiukeng cultivar planted elsewhere does not establish this regional origin. No blanket organic certification follows from a local development project.
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 | 280 | 56 |
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, strand shaping, rolling, initial baking, shaping and rebaking. The reviewed regional requirements include additional cooling and moisture-redistribution distinctions and separate flat and curled routes. Keep the inherited map as a simplified Maojian illustration, not a complete specification for every Jiukeng Tea product. Older Muzhou naming is historical context, not proof of uninterrupted production by one maker.
Common questions
Does Jiukeng Maojian always consist of single buds without stems?
No universal rule is established here. The reviewed heritage account describes a one-bud-one-leaf picking. Plant material, harvest timing, regional Jiukeng Tea and this Maojian style are separate details.
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 Tianmu Qingding, 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.