At a glance
Weishan Maojian has descriptions of both yellow-tea and green-tea processing. This guide preserves the yellow-tea comparison in the Chinese edition, while reminding you to check the actual packet. Maojian wording and growing place alone do not settle which process was used.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 沩山毛尖 |
| Tea family | Yellow tea |
| Associated origin | Weishan/Ningxiang area, Hunan |
| Leaf form | Fine, tightly formed, downy bud-and-leaf material in the yellow-tea comparison |
Taste and appearance
The original yellow-tea table describes fine tight leaves with hairs, lustrous yellow tones, yellow liquor and a tender, lasting aroma with a sweet, mellow and brisk cup. The old slogan also mentions a smoky traditional style. Smoke is a style description, not a requirement that every current Weishan product must be smoky.
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 | Fine, tight, even and very downy | Tight, fine, fairly even and downy | Tight, some hairs, reasonably even |
| Dry-leaf colour | Lustrous yellow | Lustrous yellow | Reasonably lustrous yellow |
| Liquor | Yellow and bright | Yellow and bright | Yellow and clear |
| Aroma | Tender, high and lasting | Clean and lasting | Clean and true |
| Taste | Mellow, sweet and brisk | Full and mellow, returning sweetness | Full and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Yellow, bright, tender and even | Yellow and bright | Yellow and reasonably even |
This is the retained yellow-tea comparison, not a standard that should be applied to a green-tea version. The absence of a smoke row does not certify or rule out a maker’s intended style.
Names and origin
The source gives Weishan and nearby Ningxiang localities, including Longquan/Haoxi, Shichong/Huanghe and Qingyanghu forest-area wording, using the older county designation. Retain these as historical locality examples, not a newly certified current legal production boundary. The actual maker should identify its locality and whether its product is made as green or yellow tea.
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
Use the guide if you are comparing a Weishan yellow-tea packet or trying to distinguish it from a green-tea version. If you dislike smoke, ask the seller about the actual style before buying.
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 Weishan Maojian 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 file is only a small dose strip saying to take 3 g of Weishan Maojian. It does not supply a vessel, actual water, temperature, steeping time or separation method. Do not copy the rest of another tea’s illustrated recipe into this missing information. The complete conditions shown above come from the separately labelled old prose, whose first wait was also 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
Ask explicitly whether the product is green or yellow tea and whether any smoke character is intended. Keep maker, locality, material and method together; a local name or a GI reference does not itself certify your 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 | 580 | 116 |
| Grade 1 | 350 | 70 |
| Grade 2 | 250 | 50 |
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 yellow tea in a closed foil or kraft pouch, gently removes excess air, then puts the pouch inside a lidded iron or tin container 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.
Origin, processing and history
The original generic yellow-tea map shows fresh leaves, heating, rolling, yellowing and drying. It has no smoking operation and does not represent the green-tea alternative. Keep those limits visible instead of adding an imaginary illustrated stage.
Common questions
Must every Weishan Maojian be a smoky yellow tea?
No universal requirement is established by the name. An appraisal account distinguishes yellow and green products, while a traditional style description includes smoke. Read the processing and roast/smoke statement of your packet instead of treating one historic profile as the definition of every current 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 Beigang Maojian, or browse the yellow 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.