At a glance
Wuyi Rougui is a Wuyi rock oolong named for a tea-plant variety and its cassia-like aromatic association. The English phrase Cassia Bark does not make it a cinnamon-bark infusion. Check the ingredients and the actual Wuyi origin claim on your packet.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 武夷肉桂 |
| Tea family | Oolong tea; Wuyi rock tea or yancha |
| Associated origin | Wuyishan, Fujian |
| Leaf form | Tightly formed, substantial strip-shaped leaves |
Taste and appearance
The earlier comparison describes a fresh, full and mellow cup, with a lasting aroma that can be compared with cassia, peach or creamy notes. Those are tasting directions, not an ingredient list or a guarantee for every roast. Its table ranges from golden to deeper orange-yellow or reddish-yellow liquor.
The cover above is the original dry-leaf illustration. Inherited images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of age, origin, grade, 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. A tea-plant name, growing site, roast and product grade are different 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, tightly formed and weighty, even and clean | Fairly substantial, tight and weighty, fairly even and clean | Reasonably firm and weighty, reasonably even and clean |
| Dry-leaf colour | Oily-lustrous | Dark and lustrous | Reasonably dark/lustrous, some red-brown or brown-green tones |
| Liquor | Golden, clear and bright | Deeper orange-yellow | Deep yellow with a red cast |
| Aroma | Rich and lasting; creamy, peach or cassia comparisons | Clean, high and lingering | Clean aroma |
| Taste | Full, mellow, fresh and brisk | Full and mellow | Mild and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Thick, soft, bright and even, clear red edges | Fairly soft, bright and even, clear red edges | Less evenly red-edged |
A cassia-like, creamy or peach aroma does not establish added ingredients or prove an exact growing site. Compare the actual style and the seller’s grade system.
Names and origin
The original entry names Wuyishan’s San Keng Liang Jian—three pits and two streams—as its origin example. That is not an exhaustive map of all Rougui plantings or proof that a packet came from a specific site. Growing location, tea-plant variety and roast are separate details. The older Yugui alternate wording is a name association, not a separate official grade.
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
You may enjoy it if you are curious about an aromatic Wuyi oolong with a cassia-like direction, or want to compare Rougui with the fuller traditional description of Shuixian. Taste a small packet before choosing by a prestigious site name.
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: porcelain gaiwan or clay pot
The original prose gives a porcelain gaiwan or clay pot, 1:15 tea-to-water ratio, 100°C / 212°F, preliminary wetting/rinse and a 20-second drinking infusion before decanting. It does not specify a measured dose. The example below makes the ratio explicit; its amounts are editorial arithmetic, not measurements inferred from the picture.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 6 g loose Wuyi Rougui as an editorial example |
| Actual water | 90 mL / about 3.0 US fl oz, measured for the drinking infusion; 6 g at 1:15 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe porcelain gaiwan or suitable clay pot with room for leaves and actual water |
| Water temperature | 100°C / 212°F |
| First drinking infusion | 20 seconds, then decant completely; account for filling/pouring time |
| Preliminary wetting/rinse | Separate from the drinking infusion, not a validated disinfection step |
Use your actual packet’s complete directions first. These inherited methods and editorial examples are awaiting hands-on testing. The original seven-or-more-infusions statement is not a guarantee of equal-strength cups. Nominal teaware capacity is not actual added water after leaves displace space. Let the drink cool enough to sip; a steeping time is not a measured safe drinking temperature.
Read the original illustration separately
The illustration gives 8 g, a nominal 110 mL gaiwan, 100°C preheating, a quick discarded preliminary infusion and a 5–10-second drinking infusion. It never measures actual added water. Its nominal capacity and timing are not the prose’s 1:15 and twenty seconds; keep both versions separate.
For a larger mug, use a complete product method or the brew-without-a-gaiwan guide. Do not transfer twenty seconds from a high-leaf gaiwan ratio into a lower-leaf mug and call it the same preparation.
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
Ask for the actual growing area, producer, harvest and roast description. A cultivar name is not a site certificate. Compare the same weight and product style, and keep a flavour comparison with cassia separate from an ingredient declaration.
Compare actual packets using buy your first Chinese tea.
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 | 800 | 160 |
| Grade 1 | 450 | 90 |
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
For unopened small pouches, the source places the sealed pouches inside a tin. For bulk tea, it uses a foil pouch with excess air gently removed and the seal closed, followed by a lidded tin or porcelain container. Its vacuum-packing option is a packaging method, not an instruction to crush brittle leaves in a home vacuum sealer. Keep it cool, dry, away from smells, moisture and light.
The earlier tea-table or bookshelf example assumes those conditions; choose a cupboard if the shelf is sunny or near kitchen steam. The historical targets were below 25°C / 77°F, below 50% relative humidity, and a general 24–36-month shelf-life reference. These are legacy figures, not a freshly verified expiry or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. Follow the actual product label and seal/storage conditions.
In a UK or US kitchen
Keep daily use away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam and spice containers, and reseal after each use. Roast style and packaging vary; do not carry a different oolong’s refrigerator advice into this packet without checking its label. No home re-roasting or ageing guarantee is prescribed. See storing an opened packet for everyday handling.
Origin, processing and history
Wuyi oolong manufacture works the leaves through withering and leaf-working before heating, rolling and staged drying/roasting. Roast and handling vary between products. The retained graphic is a simplified process map; it is not a reason to re-roast the packet at home.
Common questions
Does Rougui tea contain cinnamon bark?
For an unflavoured Rougui oolong, the tea name and cassia-like aroma do not mean cinnamon bark was added. Read the actual ingredient list if you have a blend. Rougui is a tea-plant name here, not an instruction to infuse spice.
Does a high-leaf gaiwan method transfer directly to my mug?
No. Keep tea amount, actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Use directions for the actual vessel and product rather than selecting one number from each method.
Compare Wuyi Shuixian or browse the oolong 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.