At a glance
Songyang Yinhou is the Silver Monkey green tea associated with Songyang in Zhejiang. The older comparison describes arched, hairy shoots. A wider modern regional brand can include additional product styles; this entry should not be merged with Suichang Yinhou merely because both use Silver Monkey in English.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 松阳银猴 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Songyang, Lishui, Zhejiang; Banguyue / Chishou historical association |
| Leaf form | Substantial, arched green shoots with silver hairs |
Taste and appearance
The inherited table describes substantial arched shoots, silver hairs in the upper tiers and lustre without a more precise dry-colour entry. Clear green liquor accompanies high fragrance and fresh mellow taste. The monkey comparison is a name and shape analogy, not an added ingredient or an authenticity test.
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, arched like a monkey, covered in silver hairs | Substantial, arched like a monkey, covered in silver hairs | Substantial and arched |
| Dry-leaf colour | Lustrous; no more specific colour supplied | Lustrous; no more specific colour supplied | Lustrous; no more specific colour supplied |
| Liquor | Clear tender green | Clear green | Tender green |
| Aroma | High and lasting | Clean and high | High, fairly lasting |
| Taste | Fresh, mellow and pleasant | Fresh and mellow | Fresh and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Tender-green shoot sets, even and bright | Tender-green even shoot sets | Tender-green shoot sets, fairly even |
The three inherited sensory columns are retained as descriptive comparisons, not a complete verified current standard or a grade certificate for the pictured leaves.
Names and origin
The earlier Banguyue/Chishou and Xiehou Mountain association is retained as historical local context. The old creation year was 1981, whereas the reviewed local history explicitly places the trial in 1980; the exact first-year discrepancy is not resolved here. That history names Fuyun Chibian No.3 for the trial, rather than proving all modern regional-brand packets use one plant. A separate first-person field visit records multiple cultivars and different green-tea forms in the wider Songyang gardens and market. Regional brand, original arched product, plant material and market trading source are separate details.
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 Songyang Yinhou through its described flavour and leaf form. Try a small traceable packet and its complete brewing directions rather than choosing for a health 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 Songyang Yinhou 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. After warming the glass, 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. No vessel capacity or separate tea-rinse step is specified. The drawn fill fraction does not independently measure actual water.
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 the actual growing source, maker, harvest and any claimed regional or brand authorisation. A translated name, sensory analogy or inherited photograph does not certify the contents of 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 | 550 | 110 |
| Grade 1 | 400 | 80 |
| Grade 2 | 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, first heat stage (tou qing), rolling, second heat stage (er qing), third heat stage (san qing) and drying. It is an inherited simplified route, not a newly verified compulsory sequence for every modern regional-brand form. The local historical account and independent field visit distinguish modern development, wider branding and different plants; the 1980/1981 trial-date discrepancy remains explicit rather than being silently corrected into a certified first year.
Common questions
Is every tea sold under Songyang Yinhou the same as the original arched tea?
Not established. The reviewed local history describes an original trial and later wider brand integration. Check the actual form, maker and cultivar; Songyang and Suichang are also different places.
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 Suichang Yinhou, 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.