At a glance
Qintang Maojian is a Guangxi green tea associated with Qintang in Guigang. The inherited comparison emphasises fine straight strands, chestnut-like fragrance and a fresh mellow cup. A protected regional name does not automatically certify every packet sold under it.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 覃塘毛尖 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Qintang, Guigang, Guangxi; protected-area description is separately scoped |
| Leaf form | Fine, round, straight green strands with pointed tips |
Taste and appearance
The older tiers describe fine, round and straight or fairly straight jade-green strands, visible tips and yellow-green liquor. High chestnut-like fragrance in the upper tiers accompanies fresh, mellow sweetness and returning sweetness. The reviewed protection requirements use somewhat different sensory wording; the old table is not silently relabelled as that document.
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 | Fine, round and straight; visible pointed tips | Fine, fairly round and straight; visible tips | Fine, fairly round and straight |
| Dry-leaf colour | Jade green | Jade green | Jade green |
| Liquor | Yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green, fairly bright | Yellow-green |
| Aroma | High, lasting chestnut-like fragrance | High, fairly lasting chestnut-like fragrance | Clean, high, fairly lasting |
| Taste | Fresh, mellow, sweet and smooth | Fairly fresh, mellow, sweet and smooth | Fresh and mellow, returning sweetness |
| Infused leaves | Tender green, bright and even | Tender green, fairly even | Fairly tender green and even |
The old Extra/Grade 1/Grade 2 sensory comparison is retained as an editorial reference. It is not a complete verified current grade standard and cannot grade an individual packet.
Names and origin
The reviewed protection requirements retain an area described as ten Qintang towns or townships with 138 administrative villages and seven residents’ committees, including Qintang, Donglong, Sanli, Huanglian, Shika, Wuli, Shanbei, Zhangmu, Menggong and Daling. These are the document’s administrative descriptions, not a newly checked current census. The old article dates creation to 1971; another regional account describes planting material introduced in 1971 and development over the next two years. Keep this development period distinct from a conclusively established first finished batch.
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 Qintang Maojian through its described flavour and leaf form. Try a traceable small packet and a complete preparation rather than a health promise or historical ranking.
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 Qintang 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 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, fill to seven-tenths and leave 2–3 minutes. Refill when about one-third remains; roughly three infusions are described. No vessel capacity or tea-rinse step is supplied. Drawn fill fractions are not independent water measurements.
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 and authorisation for any claimed protected mark. The earlier mountain descriptions and an old award list are not independent proof of one retail lot’s origin or present quality.
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 | 300 | 60 |
| Grade 2 | 200 | 40 |
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 map shows picking, spreading, heat fixing, a qingfeng air-cleaning step, rolling, strand shaping, heated drying, screening and aroma finishing. The reviewed requirements explain qingfeng as removing surface impurities and excess moisture. Their aroma-finishing paragraph unexpectedly refers to further rolling and fermentation, while the same document classifies the product as baked green tea. That wording is not silently turned into a verified oxidation step or an oolong classification; the manufacturing detail remains a clarification gap.
Common questions
Are the original three grades the complete protected-product specification?
No. They are an inherited sensory comparison. Reviewed protection requirements give product characteristics and an origin scope, but do not turn this old Extra/1/2 table into a complete verified grade schedule or certify your packet.
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 Guilin Maojian, 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.