At a glance
Jintan Queshe is the flat green tea associated with Jintan in Jiangsu. Sparrow Tongue describes the leaf form; it is not the same origin product as every other tea sold under a Queshe name.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 金坛雀舌 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Jintan District, Changzhou, Jiangsu |
| Leaf form | Flat, straight, sparrow-tongue-like green shoots |
Taste and appearance
The inherited comparison describes flat straight shoots, green to yellow-green colour and clear tender-green to yellow-green liquor. Clean high or lasting fragrance accompanies fresh brisk to full mellow taste. The older clean/floral/sweet three-part aroma description is a sensory comparison, not a guarantee that every packet is rare, flower-scented or equally fragrant.
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 | Flat, straight, even strands, sparrow-tongue-like | Flat, straight, even strands, sparrow-tongue-like | Flat and straight, some fragments |
| Dry-leaf colour | Lustrous green | Green | Lustrous yellow-green |
| Liquor | Tender green, clear and bright | Pale yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green and bright |
| Aroma | Clean and high | Clean and lasting | Clean, fairly lasting |
| Taste | Fresh and brisk | Mellow, brisk and fresh | Full and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Tender, even shoot sets | Tender, even shoot sets | Tender and even, connected buds and leaves |
The three original columns are preserved. Reading the standard information page does not verify its full grading clauses or the conformity of a packet; no star rating or extra legal grade is added.
Names and origin
The national standards information platform identifies DB32/T 2695-2014 as the geographical-indication product standard for Jintan Queshe; only its metadata and scope were obtained, not full clauses. An independently authored district report identifies the tea within Jintan’s green-tea industry. The earlier four-town scope names Xuebu, Zhiqian, Zhulin and Zhixi; it is retained as inherited wording rather than a newly verified complete current boundary. The old Jintan City label is updated to Jintan District in Changzhou.
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 green-tea shoots and fresh brisk flavour. Start with a modest traceable sample and compare the actual harvest and processing description.
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 Jintan Queshe 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 four-fifths and wait 2–3 minutes, then serve. Refill at one-third remaining; roughly three infusions are described. Vessel capacity and a separate tea rinse are unspecified. Keep this four-fifths fill distinct from other teas’ seven-tenths drawings.
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 Jintan growing source, maker, harvest, grade basis, net weight and any mark authorisation. A flat Queshe shape or a high asking price does not prove origin or quality.
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 | 6,800 | 1360 |
| Grade 1 | 4,500 | 900 |
| Grade 2 | 3,000 | 600 |
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.
These unusually high inherited figures have no dated, traceable comparable retail samples. They are not verified current recommended retail prices, a market average or a price floor. No decimal-point correction has been assumed.
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 retained map labels picking, spreading, heat fixing, cooling, strand work, shaping and drying. The reviewed district account supports the green-tea association; the standard metadata does not verify the exact diagram sequence or all-products handmade status. An award won by a named producer’s submitted sample does not grade every Jintan Queshe packet.
Common questions
Are the old China prices a verified current retail recommendation?
No. The inherited figures are unusually high: CNY 6,800, 4,500 and 3,000 per 500 g. They lack dated comparable samples. They are preserved as old editorial references, without a silent decimal correction or a claim that they are today’s recommended retail prices.
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 Yibin Queshe, 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.