At a glance
Lvbaoshi, or Emerald, is a Guizhou green-tea product reference with tightly worked flower-like granules. Rolled shape does not make it an oolong. The reviewed specification uses tender shoots with a bud and two or three leaves, rather than requiring an all-bud picking.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 绿宝石茶 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Guizhou; earlier Guiyang development context, not one exclusive garden |
| Leaf form | Tight, substantial, coiled flower-like green granules |
Taste and appearance
The earlier table describes tight, substantial and even coiled granules, lustrous green colour and yellow-green bright liquor. Rich lasting or clean fragrance accompanies a pure, fresh and brisk cup. The lower aroma cell also uses a taste-like pleasantness description; it is not an independent recorded sensory test.
The original liquor and 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 | Coiled flower-like granules, even, heavy and substantial, visible hairs | Coiled flower-like granules, fairly even and substantial | Coiled flower-like granules, fairly even and substantial |
| Dry-leaf colour | Green and lustrous | Green and lustrous | Green and lustrous |
| Liquor | Yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green, fairly bright | Yellow-green, fairly bright |
| Aroma | Rich and lasting fragrance | Rich, fairly lasting fragrance | Pure clean fragrance; original also describes pleasantness |
| Taste | Pure, fresh and brisk | Pure flavour | Pure flavour |
| Infused leaves | Soft, bright green and even | Soft, bright green and even | Fairly intact, soft and bright green |
The original Extra/Grade 1/Grade 2 comparison remains an earlier editorial table. The reviewed 2018 specification instead names Zhenpin, Extra grade and Grade 1, with different sensory wording. These schedules are not silently relabelled.
Names and origin
The earlier article associates development with Guiyang Chunqiu, Mou Chunlin and naming by Mou Yingshu. Reviewed reporting describes gardens in several Guizhou areas and a GuiTea product context. A development address does not mean every leaf grew in Guiyang. Emerald compares the worked leaves and colour with a gemstone, not an added mineral. The reviewed 2018 specification identifies medium/small-leaf material and a green-tea process.
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 Lvbaoshi Green Tea through its described flavour and leaf form. Compare an actual packet and complete preparation rather than a historical ranking or medical 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 Lvbaoshi Green Tea 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 uses a heat-safe glass, 3 g, 85°C / 185°F and 1:50, implying 150 mL actual water by arithmetic. Start with water to one-third of the glass, gently swirl, then fill to seven-tenths and leave 2–3 minutes. Refill at about one-third remaining; it describes roughly three infusions. No vessel capacity is stated. The drawn fill fraction does not independently measure the water volume.
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 maker, actual growing source, harvest, leaf material and packet grade. The reviewed standard uses Zhenpin, Extra grade and Grade 1, unlike the earlier Extra/1/2 table; these labels are not silently treated as equivalent.
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 | 500 | 100 |
| Grade 1 | 350 | 70 |
| Grade 2 | 260 | 52 |
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.
Different stated storage periods
The reviewed 2018 Lvbaoshi specification gives 24 months with its specified tea-storage requirements. This is not a remaining-life guarantee for an opened pouch. The older household reference above gives 12 months; follow the actual packet, package and conditions rather than transferring either period to every product.
Origin, processing and history
The map shows picking, spreading, heat fixing, rolling, drying/aroma finishing and refining. It does not separately show every operation forming the coiled granules. This is not proof of an oolong process or an all-bud raw material.
Common questions
Do rolled Emerald leaves make Lvbaoshi an oolong?
No. Rolled shape alone does not classify tea. The reviewed product specification describes green tea made with tender shoots carrying a bud and two or three leaves. Check the complete product name and maker.
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 Meitan Cuiya, 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.