At a glance
Nanshan Shoumei is a green tea associated with Liyang in Jiangsu. It is distinct from Shoumei in the white-tea family; the longevity-eyebrow name is cultural imagery, not a promise of longer life.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 南山寿眉 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Liyang, Changzhou, Jiangsu; associated with Lijiayuan |
| Leaf form | Slightly flat, gently curved green shoots with pale hairs |
Taste and appearance
The original table describes slightly flat, mostly gently curved green shoots with pale hairs. Clear bright liquor accompanies clean delicate fragrance and fresh mellow flavour. The lower shape cell says straight rather than curved; that inherited variation remains instead of forcing every grade to one shape.
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 | Slightly flat and gently curved | Slightly flat and gently curved | Slightly flat and straight |
| Dry-leaf colour | Jade green, covered with pale hairs | Jade green, covered with pale hairs | Deep green, visible pale hairs |
| Liquor | Clear and bright | Clear and bright | Clear, fairly bright |
| Aroma | Clean, delicate and lasting | Clean, delicate and long | Clean and delicate |
| Taste | Fresh, brisk and mellow | Fresh, brisk, full and mellow | Fresh and brisk, fairly mellow |
| Infused leaves | Tender green and even | Tender green, fairly even | Tender green |
The three inherited columns remain a partial sensory comparison. The straight lower-tier shape is preserved; neither a curve nor the longevity name establishes a current legal grade.
Names and origin
A local newspaper’s regional account explicitly describes Nanshan Shoumei among Liyang’s green teas. A separately authored report on Lijiayuan’s farming and tea economy documents the local name, while the municipal agricultural interview places it in the local tea industry. These support the regional association, without proving that one cooperative is the sole maker or defining a complete protected boundary. The older Lijiayuan cooperative reference is retained as a named association, not an exclusivity claim.
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 appeal to someone exploring Liyang green tea with a gently curved eyebrow form. Choose by a traceable packet and flavour preference, without a longevity claim.
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 Nanshan Shoumei 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 glass and 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. Refill at one-third remaining; roughly three infusions are described. Vessel capacity and a separate tea rinse are unspecified.
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 Liyang origin, maker, ingredients, harvest and processing family. Ask which Shoumei is being sold before comparing recipes, ageing claims or prices.
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 | 550 | 110 |
| 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.
Origin, processing and history
The retained map labels picking, spreading, heat fixing, strand rubbing to reveal hairs and final pan working. Its heat-fixing route matches the green-tea entry’s intended processing family. The short diagram has not been verified as a complete compulsory factory route. The Nanshan/longevity association and eyebrow comparison are cultural naming explanations, without clinical effects, a universal creation-date claim or a reason to age it like white Shoumei.
Common questions
Should I brew and store Nanshan Shoumei like Fujian white Shoumei?
Do not transfer the white-tea recipe or ageing story on the shared name alone. This entry concerns the Liyang green tea and retains its original glass-brewing and green-tea storage conditions.
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 Shoumei, 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.