At a glance
Taxue Lanfei is a branded tea name in the inherited entry. Its exact tea base, scenting ingredients and product instructions need to be read from the packet, rather than inferred from an orchid-like aroma.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 踏雪兰妃 |
| Tea family | Scented tea |
| Associated origin | The older entry associates its tea base with Mengding, Sichuan; check the branded product |
| Leaf form | Branded tea name with inherited yellowing and scenting descriptions |
Taste and appearance
The original sensory comparison describes straight, hairy buds, fresh tender-green colour, a green to lightly yellow cup and a fresh, mellow, brisk taste with a sweet finish. Orchid-like is an aroma description here, not confirmation of an orchid ingredient.
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 (old table) | Grade 1 (old table) |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Straight, graceful, hairy and plump; visible bud tips | Straight and hairy, fairly plump, visible tips |
| Dry colour | Fresh tender-green with lustre | Tender-green |
| Liquor | Tender-green, slightly yellow and bright | Tender-green and bright |
| Aroma | Orchid-like, clean and lasting (old description) | Orchid-like with tender-leaf note (old description) |
| Taste | Fresh, mellow and brisk; sweet finish | Fresh, mellow and brisk; sweet finish |
| Infused leaves | Whole buds, tender/even, fresh appearance | Tender/even, fairly fresh appearance |
The inherited table contains two sensory columns but the price list contains three. No third sensory grade or current proprietary grading scheme is invented. The old yellow-tea / Ganlu-base / scenting descriptions need a matched current product specification before being treated as one confirmed manufacturing recipe.
Names and origin
The earlier page identifies Taxue Lanfei as a Bafu Tea brand and associates its base with Mengding spring tea. Its prose references Mengding Ganlu while its process image includes yellowing and repeated scenting. Current accessible primary brand materials were not obtained in this review, so a precise trademark entitlement, exclusive maker claim, tea-family specification, altitude threshold or flower ingredient is not independently certified. Do not treat this commercial name as a universal cultivar or harvest grade.
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 for the inherited fresh, mellow flavour description only after checking the actual branded packet and ingredients. It is not a recommendation to improve immunity, mood or digestion.
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 or porcelain cup
The earlier method uses a heat-safe glass or porcelain cup, 1:50 tea-to-water ratio and 90–100°C / 194–212°F water. It says to refill when about one-third of the liquid remains and describes around three infusions/refills. It gives no first steeping time and no separate leaf rinse. Keep this prose distinct from the image below.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 3 g as an editorial arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 150 mL / about 5.1 US fl oz; measured water at 1:50 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe glass or porcelain cup with space for leaf expansion |
| Water temperature | 90–100°C / 194–212°F |
| First drinking infusion | No first time supplied in the prose; use a complete packet method |
| Refill | When around one-third remains; not the same as a fresh measured batch |
These inherited methods and arithmetic examples are awaiting hands-on testing. Nominal capacity and a drawn fill fraction do not measure actual water. Extraction continues while leaves remain in the cup; strain or transfer the tea if it becomes too strong. Repeat-cup counts are not a guarantee. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
Illustration method: heat-safe glass. 3 g, 85°C / 185°F, first water to around one-third of the glass, gently swirl, then fill to about seven-tenths and leave 2–3 minutes. The printed 1:50 supplies ratio arithmetic only; the drawing gives no measured actual water or vessel capacity. A 3 g / 150 mL example must be measured, not inferred from the glass outline. It shows no separate leaf rinse. Keep the 85°C graphic separate from the 90–100°C prose.
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
Get the actual maker, full label, ingredients, product category and brewing/storage instructions. Similar names and orchid-like aroma do not confirm brand authorisation or botanical ingredients; this page has no affiliation.
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 (old price list) | 680 | 136 |
| Grade 1 (old price list) | 450 | 90 |
| Grade 2 (old price list) | 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 earlier page calls for cool, dry storage away from light and strong smells, with the packet tightly closed. Keep the tea protected between uses; a ventilated room does not mean leaving dry tea uncovered.
In a UK or US kitchen
Reseal a clean, dry, food-safe pouch or container and keep it away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, sunlight and spice cupboards. Follow the actual maker’s best-before date and stated storage conditions; this review cannot assign a new shelf life to an opened packet.
Where the packet permits refrigeration, use a sealed moisture- and odour-resistant pack, and let it return to room temperature while still sealed before opening. The earlier cold-storage option is conditional, not a reason to put an open pouch in a damp food fridge or a guarantee of a longer safe life. See storing an opened packet.
The old options were a sealed foil pouch in a cool, dry room, or a sealed pouch protected by another foil pouch or tin in a suitable refrigerator. Apply these only with the actual label’s storage directions.
Origin, processing and history
The retained image labels picking, withering, heat-fixing, initial rolling/drying, re-rolling, yellowing, further drying/shaping/sieving, blending, low-heat drying, repeated scenting and packing. It shows numbered scenting stages up to seven; the old description elsewhere suggests a different sequence. This is an inherited schematic with unresolved product attribution, not a certified process for every item using the name. No flower species, clinical effect or current exclusive-right claim is invented.
Common questions
Does orchid-like aroma prove orchid flowers were added?
No. A sensory analogy is not an ingredients declaration. The old diagram includes scenting, but does not establish the botanical identity or amount of the scenting material. Check a complete product label or ask the maker.
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 Mengding Huangya, or browse the scented 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.