At a glance
Jinshan Cuiya is a flat green tea associated with Zhenjiang in Jiangsu. Its Jinshan tower comparison is a visual and cultural explanation of the name, not a claim that every packet grows on the tower’s hill.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 金山翠芽 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Zhenjiang and named surrounding production areas, Jiangsu |
| Leaf form | Flat, straight, tapered green shoots with fine hairs |
Taste and appearance
The original table describes flat straight tapered jade-green shoots and pale yellow-green liquor. Tender lasting or clean fragrance accompanies fresh mellow flavour, fuller at the top tier. Reviewed requirements give bright jade-green liquor in their broad description; that difference is retained as description variation rather than one guaranteed colour for every cup.
The original infused-leaf 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 | Flat, straight, tapered and even, visible hairs | Flat, straight, tapered and even, some hairs | Flat, straight and tapered, fairly even |
| Dry-leaf colour | Jade green | Jade green | Jade green |
| Liquor | Pale yellow-green and bright | Pale yellow-green and bright | Pale yellow-green |
| Aroma | Tender and lasting | Tender, fairly lasting | Clean |
| Taste | Fresh, mellow and full | Fresh and mellow, mouthwatering | Fairly fresh and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Substantial, even and tender green | Fairly substantial and even, tender green | Tender green |
The original three sensory columns remain a partial comparison. Their pale yellow-green liquor differs from the broad jade-green requirement wording; neither is a single-colour authenticity test.
Names and origin
Reviewed requirements cover named parts of Zhenjiang, Danyang and Jurong rather than only the Jinshan hill. They list several suitable cultivars and say Extra grade is mainly single buds; this does not make all grades bud-only. An independently authored court field-visit report documents the local tea association and Nanshan tea research base, supporting the regional product context. The earlier 1982 creation date and attribution of the name to Chen Chuan remain historical attributions without an independent primary-text check here.
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 appeal to someone exploring flat tapered green tea and fresh fuller taste. Try a traceable small packet rather than choosing by the tower story alone.
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 Jinshan Cuiya 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 warms a glass and uses 3 g, 85°C / 185°F and 1:50, implying 150 mL actual water by arithmetic. Add water to one-third, gently swirl, fill to seven-tenths and wait 2–3 minutes. Refill at one-third remaining; roughly three infusions are described. Vessel capacity and a separate tea rinse are unspecified.
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 area, maker, cultivar and picking information, harvest and grade basis. Keep Zhenjiang Jinshan Cuiya distinct from Anhui Jinshan Shiyu.
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 | 350 | 70 |
| 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 map labels picking, spreading, sorting (jian ti), heat fixing, strand work, shaping, final pan working, baking and refining. Reviewed requirements also describe cooling between stages and final sorting. The old extra pre-fixing sorting panel is retained as a simplified illustration detail, not a separately verified mandatory sequence for all makers. Dahao and Dabai are plant-material names, not a reason to classify this fixed green tea as white tea.
Common questions
Is every Jinshan Cuiya made exclusively from single buds?
The reviewed requirement says Extra grade is mainly single buds and lists a broader picking context. Do not turn mainly into exclusively or apply one upper-tier description to all packets.
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 Jinshan Shiyu, 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.