At a glance
Maoshan Qingfeng is a flat green tea associated with Maolu in Jintan, Jiangsu. The local name is encountered with both 青峰 and 青锋; the sword-like leaf comparison is descriptive rather than a separate tea family.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 茅山青峰 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Maolu area, Jintan District, Changzhou, Jiangsu |
| Leaf form | Flat, straight, smooth, short-sword-like green shoots |
Taste and appearance
The old table describes flat straight smooth shoots, lustrous green colour and bright green to jade-green liquor. High brisk or delicate fragrance accompanies fresh mellow flavour and returning sweetness at the top tier. Neither the leaf form nor the old award history grades a packet.
The original liquor and 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 like a sword, level and smooth | Flat, straight and smooth | Fairly flat, straight, level and smooth |
| Dry-leaf colour | Lustrous green | Lustrous green | Lustrous green |
| Liquor | Green and bright | Green and bright | Jade green |
| Aroma | High and brisk | High, brisk and delicate | High and rising |
| Taste | Fresh, mellow and pleasant, sweet mouthwatering finish | Fresh and mellow, fairly brisk | Fresh and mellow, fairly brisk |
| Infused leaves | Tender green, bright and even | Tender green, fairly bright and even | Tender green, fairly even |
These are the three inherited sensory columns, not a complete verified current standard. Both local name spellings are searchable; spelling alone is not an authenticity test.
Names and origin
Jintan’s 2010 yearbook documents Maolu tea production and both Qingfeng spellings. A separately authored local heritage account describes Maolu Qiqiang making and later related styles including Maoshan Qingfeng. These support the local association, without making every Maoshan tea the same product. The earlier 1940 s production/1983 naming story is retained only as an historical attribution, not a newly verified exact founding chronology. The old Jintan City wording is updated to Jintan District.
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 flat green tea with a clean high fragrance description. Start with a small traceable packet and a complete brewing method.
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 Maoshan Qingfeng 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. Refill at one-third remaining; roughly three infusions are described. Vessel capacity and a separate tea rinse are unspecified. This is four-fifths, not the seven-tenths fill in the other five diagrams in this batch.
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 Maolu/Jintan growing source, maker, harvest and grade basis. An old company certification or named sample’s award is not a current organic certificate for every 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 | 550 | 110 |
| Grade 1 | 350 | 70 |
| Grade 2 | 260 | 52 |
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, fixing, shaping, final pan working and refining. The independent heritage account for related Maolu Qiqiang gives spreading, fixing, strand shaping, pan polishing, drying and refining, and discusses Qingfeng as a later related style. That is contextual cross-checking, not proof that the entire Qiqiang specification governs every Qingfeng maker. Exact factory settings and all-products handmade or organic status are not inferred.
Common questions
Is Maoshan Qingfeng the same name as every Maoshan tea?
No. Local accounts list several distinct tea products. Check the actual name, maker and source; Qingfeng is not automatically Jintan Queshe, Maoshan Changqing or every Qiqiang-style product.
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 Jintan 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.