At a glance
Hanzhong Xianhao is a regional green-tea name from southern Shaanxi. Its brand history brings together earlier local names, including Wuzi Xianhao and Ningqiang Queshe. Those local references are retained here, but should not be read as wholly unrelated tea families.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 汉中仙毫（定军茗眉、午子仙茗） |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Hanzhong region, southern Shaanxi; check the actual locality |
| Leaf form | Slightly flat, upright, fine green strands with hairs |
Taste and appearance
The original comparison describes slightly flat, upright, hairy strands, green to pale-green colour and clear, bright liquor. Tender or clean fragrance accompanies a fresh, mellow cup with returning sweetness. The first taste cell mixes fragrance and taste wording; the table retains its intended fragrant finish rather than treating it as a separate medical effect. The cover shares a regional dry-leaf illustration with Ningqiang Queshe, and the infused-leaf view resembles the Wuzi illustration; these do not document independent lots.
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 | Slightly flat, upright and elegant, even visible hairs | Slightly flat, upright, visible hairs | Slightly flat and upright, fairly visible hairs |
| Dry-leaf colour | Pale green | Green | Green |
| Liquor | Pale green, clear and bright | Pale green, clear and bright | Green, clear and bright |
| Aroma | High, sharp and lasting tender fragrance | High and lasting tender fragrance | Lasting clean fragrance |
| Taste | Lasting fragrant finish, brisk with returning sweetness | Fresh, brisk, sweet and mellow | Fresh and mellow, fairly brisk |
| Infused leaves | Even and lively, pale green and bright | Even bud-and-leaf sets, bright | Pale green and bright |
The Extra-grade taste cell originally includes aroma wording. Its lasting fragrant finish and brisk returning sweetness are retained without inventing a separate flavour test.
Names and origin
The old account highlights Wuzi Mountain in Xixiang, Ningqiang and Mianxian. These are historical core references, not the complete modern geographical scope. The reviewed 2024 regulator statement lists eight county-level areas after administrative consolidation. Regional brand integration also involved older local names such as Dingjun Mingmei. A regional name alone does not establish one cultivar, an exact harvest, organic certification or a measured selenium content.
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 Hanzhong Xianhao as an everyday green tea. Choose by flavour, actual leaf form and preparation rather than a promise of mineral supplementation or health treatment.
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 Hanzhong Xianhao 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 retained graphic gives 3 g, 85°C, 1:50 and a heat-safe glass. The ratio implies 150 mL actual water by arithmetic, not a measured vessel capacity. It starts with water to about one-third of the glass and then fills to four-fifths, with 2–3 minutes before drinking. Refill at about one-third remaining. Keep this entire illustrated method separate from the prose; a fill fraction does not verify the actual water volume.
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 growing locality, producer, harvest, leaf style and packet grade. Distinguish a regional public brand from a single estate or cultivar. The earlier universal pollution-free and mineral claims are not certificates for the 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 | 800 | 160 |
| Grade 1 | 550 | 110 |
| Grade 2 | 350 | 70 |
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 original map shows spreading, heat fixing, arranging the strands, shaping, working to reveal hairs, baking dry and selection. This is a simplified green-tea account, not a record of every maker’s exact equipment or schedule. Historical cultivation in this region does not date every modern product name to the Qin, Han or Tang periods.
Common questions
Is Hanzhong Xianhao unrelated to Wuzi Xianhao and Ningqiang Queshe?
No. Regional brand integration connects these names. Local product traditions can remain useful recognition terms, but names at regional and county level can overlap. Check the actual producer and leaf style instead of assuming three independent varieties.
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 Wuzi Xianhao, 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.