At a glance
Xiangjian is the Anhua dark-tea group that includes Tianjian, Gongjian and Shengjian. These material-based names are more useful than imposing the old page’s Extra / Grade 1 / Grade 2 labels.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 湘尖茶（三尖茶） |
| Tea family | Dark tea |
| Associated origin | Anhua, Yiyang, Hunan |
| Leaf form | Prepared dark tea, often basket-packed rather than a rectangular brick |
Taste and appearance
The inherited comparison moves from tighter, flatter strands toward sturdier, thicker leaves, with black to black-brown dry colour and a mellow body. The reviewed text allows orange-yellow or orange-red liquor and possible pine-smoke notes. A form or aroma does not by itself grade your packet.
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 | Tianjian (old Extra column) | Gongjian (old Grade 1 column) | Shengjian (old Grade 2 column) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Tianjian: clumps; tight, slightly flat strands when separated | Gongjian: clumps; firm, slightly flat strands when separated | Shengjian: clumps; sturdy, loach-like curled strands |
| Dry colour | Lustrous black | Oily black with brown | Black-brown |
| Liquor | Old table: red-yellow | Old table: orange-red | Old table: orange-red |
| Aroma | High and clean | Fairly high | Clean |
| Taste | Full and strong | Old cell unresolved; reviewed description: full and mellow | Mellow and fairly strong |
| Infused leaves | Yellow-brown with brown; whole, fairly tender and even | Brown, fairly whole | Black-brown, broad and thick |
The old sensory details are retained with their named Tianjian / Gongjian / Shengjian scope. The old Gongjian taste cell repeated an aroma-style phrase, so it is explicitly unresolved rather than translated into a new taste claim. The matching reviewed text describes it as full and mellow. These names are not automatically equivalent to Extra / Grade 1 / Grade 2; old price labels below remain historical and are not relabelled as a verified Tianjian price list.
Names and origin
Xiangjian is associated with Anhua in Hunan. The reviewed definitions distinguish Tianjian (Xiangjian No. 1), Gongjian (No. 2) and Shengjian (No. 3) by prepared raw-material grades and resulting quality. These names do not mean every product consists only of tender buds, and Shengjian is not sheng Pu-erh. Basket packing and compressed clumps should not be mistaken for a universal rectangular-brick specification.
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 this tea if you enjoy basket-style dark tea with a mellow body and possible pine-smoke notes. This describes flavour and preparation, not a medical suitability category. Buy a small, clearly identified drinking portion first.
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: gaiwan or Yixing teapot
The earlier prose uses a white porcelain gaiwan or Yixing teapot, 1:20 tea-to-water ratio and 100°C / 212°F water. It includes rinsing/moistening the leaves, then describes a drinking infusion of 10 seconds after adding water. The prose gives no rinse duration. Its claim of ten or more infusions is retained as a description of the original method, not a guarantee for your packet.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 5 g as an editorial arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 100 mL / about 3.4 US fl oz; measured water at 1:20 |
| Vessel | Porcelain gaiwan or Yixing teapot with room for the leaves and actual water |
| Water temperature | 100°C / 212°F at pouring; let the drink cool before sipping |
| Rinse | Included in the prose, with no duration specified; discard it |
| First drinking infusion | 10 seconds after adding water, then decant fully |
These inherited directions and arithmetic examples are awaiting hands-on testing. A nominal vessel capacity or drawn fill fraction does not measure actual water. Keep this prose recipe separate from the illustration below, which may use a different ratio or timing. For a tightly pressed brick, use an appropriate tool carefully, pointing it away from your hands and body; weigh the separated portion rather than judging by brick size.
Read the original illustration separately
Illustration method: leaf occupying about one-fifth of the pot, water labelled 100°C / 212°F, two separate 5-second rinses discarded, then a first drinking infusion of about 5 seconds. Later infusions increase in time. It gives no measured grams, actual water, vessel capacity or ratio. The final 3–5 seconds is holding a sip, not brewing. The depicted 10 cm pouring height is not required; pour carefully to avoid splashing.
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 which of the three Xiangjian names is actually on the packet, maker, raw-material declaration, net weight, date and storage conditions. Do not assume a point in the old generic price list is a current quote for a named Tianjian product.
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 label (old price list) | 500 | 100 |
| Grade 1 label (old price list) | 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 earlier Chinese edition describes long-term storage under suitable conditions: below 25°C / 77°F and below 70% relative humidity, away from sunlight, moisture and smells. These inherited limits are not an instruction to raise humidity, a measured condition in your home or a guarantee that every packet will improve with age. Follow the actual product label and packaging conditions first.
It describes paper bags, clean bamboo baskets or ceramic containers for loose tea, and clean, odour-free cardboard boxes for small baskets, bricks and cakes. Keep a protective enclosure with suitable air circulation around the storage area; do not leave tea exposed to kitchen air. Keep different products and strong aromas separate. A paper wrapper is not a waterproof barrier.
In a UK or US home
Choose a clean, dry cupboard away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, spices, heaters, direct sun and damp basement walls. Handle tea with clean, dry tools and keep an opened portion protected between uses. Do not automatically transfer green tea’s refrigerator method to dark tea. Long-term ageing conditions depend on the product and package; do not recreate a factory’s humid fermentation room at home.
Long storage does not guarantee better flavour or freedom from spoilage. Do not brew tea that appears spoiled; if its condition is uncertain, stop using it and ask the maker or seller. A short rinse is a brewing step, not a safety inspection. See storing an opened packet.
Origin, processing and history
The original initial-processing image shows heat-fixing, rolling, piling, re-rolling and drying over a qixing stove. Refining shows sieving, hand working, drying, picking stems, blending, pressing/packing and later drying. The reviewed Xiangjian definition includes sorting, blending, steaming, forming and drying; the short inherited map does not show every stage. The regional account independently distinguishes the three names and material differences. Imperial-tribute stories and aristocratic/best-tea claims are not used to grade or medically recommend a packet.
Common questions
Are Tianjian, Gongjian and Shengjian three different tea families?
No. They are the three Xiangjian names in the reviewed Anhua classification. Compare the named product, declared raw material and preparation rather than translating the names into a new universal star ranking.
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 Hei Maocha, or browse the dark 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.