At a glance
Beigang Maojian is a yellow-tea name associated with Yueyang in Hunan. Maojian describes a tea-name and leaf-tip context, rather than a promise that every tea with this word is green tea. Read the full name and the product’s processing description.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 北港毛尖 |
| Tea family | Yellow tea |
| Associated origin | Beigang/Yueyang area, Hunan |
| Leaf form | Substantial buds and leaves with visible fine tips/hairs |
Taste and appearance
The original profile describes substantial buds and leaves, visible downy tips, golden dry-leaf tones and orange-yellow liquor. The cup is full and mellow, sometimes with returning sweetness, and a clean, high, lasting aroma. These are inherited sensory descriptions rather than a measured colour or grade 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 buds/leaves with visible downy tips | Substantial buds/leaves with visible downy tips | Substantial buds/leaves with visible downy tips |
| Dry-leaf colour | Golden yellow | Golden yellow | Golden yellow |
| Liquor | Orange-yellow and bright | Orange-yellow and bright | Yellow, bright and clear |
| Aroma | Clean, high and lasting | Reasonably high, clean and lasting | Reasonably high and clean |
| Taste | Full and mellow, returning sweetness | Full, mellow and brisk | Full, mellow and brisk |
| Infused leaves | Substantial, tender, yellow bud/leaf sets | Substantial, even yellow sets | Reasonably tender sets |
Repeated descriptions are retained as the original table presents them; no extra fine distinctions are invented to make the tiers look more precise.
Names and origin
The source names Beigang in Yueyang. Its Yonghu tea reference belongs to a local historical account; it is not used to certify that a present packet has an unchanged Tang-dynasty recipe or a permanent top-ten status. The earlier five-or-six-days-after-Qingming picking example is not a compulsory date for every garden or season.
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
Try it if you want to explore Hunan yellow tea beyond Junshan Yinzhen. Choose by the actual product and taste, not a historical rank or a stomach-treatment 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 Beigang 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 drawing uses 5 g, a 1:50 ratio, 85°C / 185°F water and a 2–3-minute wait after staged filling. The ratio calculates to 250 mL actual water; a one-third initial fill and seven-tenths final fill do not themselves measure that volume. Refill when one-third remains. Keep this dose separate from the prose’s undosed ratio and the editorial 3 g/150 mL example.
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
Ask for maker, growing area, harvest and processing style. Modern named yellow-tea products may use different picking and forms. A local historical name, a brand and a sensory grade need separate evidence.
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 | 580 | 116 |
| Grade 1 | 350 | 70 |
| Grade 2 | 250 | 50 |
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 yellow tea in a closed foil or kraft pouch, gently removes excess air, then puts the pouch inside a lidded iron or tin container 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.
Origin, processing and history
The retained map shows fresh leaves, heating, rolling, yellowing and drying. This is a simplified yellow-tea sequence, not a complete historical recipe or the measured production conditions of a present packet.
Common questions
Is Beigang Maojian a green tea like Xinyang Maojian?
This guide covers the Beigang yellow-tea tradition. The shared Maojian wording does not make it identical to Xinyang Maojian or determine the processing family by itself. Use the full product name, origin and method on 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 Junshan Yinzhen, or browse the yellow 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.