At a glance
Enshi Yulu is a steamed, needle-shaped green tea from Enshi in Hubei. Steam is used to heat the fresh leaf during processing; the leaves are then worked into fine needles. The name Jade Dew describes the tea, not a guarantee that it is made like Japanese gyokuro or has a specified nutrient content.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 恩施玉露 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Enshi, Hubei; Bajiao and Wufengshan craft areas |
| Leaf form | Tight, round, straight needles with visible pale hairs |
Taste and appearance
The earlier comparison describes tight, round, straight pine-needle-like leaves with white hairs, jade-green or darker-green dry colour, bright tender-green liquor and a clean lasting fragrance. The cup is described as brisk to mellow with returning sweetness. These are sensory expectations, not a TeaPlain tasting report or a laboratory grade determination.
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 | Tight, round, straight pine needles, visible white hairs, even and clean | Fine, tight and straight, even | Straight and reasonably even |
| Dry-leaf colour | Jade green | Lustrous green | Dark green |
| Liquor | Tender green, clear and bright | Tender green and bright | Green and bright |
| Aroma | Clean and lasting | Clean, reasonably lasting | Clean |
| Taste | Brisk with returning sweetness | Fresh and mellow, returning sweetness | Mellow |
| Infused leaves | Tender, even and bright | Green and bright | Green, reasonably bright |
The old sensory tiers are preserved without stars. A tea’s steamed processing, cultivar, nutrient analysis and commercial grade require different evidence.
Names and origin
The original broad origin is Enshi in southwestern Hubei, with Bajiao Dong Township especially highlighted. The heritage craft record also names the Wufengshan area of Wuyangba. The older Yulv, or jade green, name is kept for recognition. The source’s 1936 renaming story is a historical account, not a claim that a modern packet is an unchanged 1936 product. Enshi Yulu and Japanese gyokuro are separate tea identities despite similar translated wording.
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
Consider it if you enjoy a fresh green-tea style and want to explore steaming rather than assuming every Chinese green tea is pan-fixed. It is an ordinary caffeinated drink, not protection against screens, smoking or alcohol.
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 Enshi Yulu 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 photograph sequence gives about 5 g at 1 g:50 mL, which calculates to 250 mL actual water, and 85°C / 185°F water. Pour first to one-third, gently rotate three times to wet the leaves, fill to seven-tenths and wait about 2 minutes before drinking; refill when one-third remains. The note means freshly boiled water cooled to 85°C, not water boiling at 85°C. No vessel capacity is stated.
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 locality, harvest, plant material and a clear processing description. Steam-fixing and needle shaping are useful identifying context. Selenium, organic or geographical claims need evidence for the actual product; the name alone does not certify a nutrient dose, safety result or authorised origin.
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 | 700 | 140 |
| Grade 1 | 450 | 90 |
| Grade 2 | 300 | 60 |
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 inherited map shows picking, spreading, steam-fixing, fanning away surface moisture, initial heated drying, rolling, a further heated drying operation, shaping and polishing, low-temperature aroma drying and sorting. Steam-fixing is the defining processing distinction in the heritage account. Later contact with heated equipment does not turn that initial steam-fixing into pan-fixing. Historical origin and revival stories differ in emphasis; this page does not declare it China’s only steamed tea or date all present products to one inventor.
Common questions
Is Enshi Yulu the same tea as Japanese gyokuro?
No. This guide covers the Chinese Enshi steamed green tea. A shared translation such as Jade Dew does not establish the same origin, growing method or complete brewing recipe. Start with your packet’s directions and keep each dose, water amount, temperature and time together.
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 Nanjing Yuhua, 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.