At a glance
Xinyang Hong is a modern black-tea development from Xinyang in Henan, distinct from the region’s green Xinyang Maojian. Local reporting records development around 2009–2010. A shared place or an older Maojian black tea label does not mean the green and black products have the same process or recipe.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 信阳红 |
| Tea family | Black tea |
| Associated origin | Xinyang, Henan |
| Leaf form | Fine, tight, even strands, with varying golden hairs |
Taste and appearance
The inherited profile describes fine, tightly worked strands, dark or brown lustrous leaf and varying golden hairs, with clear red liquor, a lasting sweet aroma and a full, mellow, refreshing cup. These are sensory expectations, not proof that every current packet matches a 2010 appraisal sample or is equivalent to another region’s named tea.
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 | Even, fine, tight strands with pointed tips and many golden hairs | Fine, tight, fairly even strands with some golden hairs | Reasonably fine and tight, even, fairly clean, tender stems and a few hairs |
| Dry-leaf colour | Brown, reasonably lustrous | Lustrous dark leaf | Dark, reasonably lustrous |
| Liquor | Red and bright | Red and clear | Red, reasonably clear |
| Aroma | Tender sweet fragrance | Sweet fragrance | Some sweet fragrance |
| Taste | Full, mellow and brisk | Fairly full and mellow, reasonably brisk | Reasonably full and mellow |
| Infused leaves | Tender, even, red and bright | Tender, reasonably even, red and fairly bright | Reasonably tender, even, red and bright |
The old comparison is preserved without using a 2010 public appraisal, political naming story or another tea’s reputation as a current packet grade certificate.
Names and origin
The earlier source lists five mountains—Cheyun, Jiyun, Yunwu, Tianyun, Lianyun—plus Heilong and Bailong pools, Zhenlei Mountain, Hejiazhai and Lingshan Temple as Xinyang tea-area references. Preserve this as the inherited regional list, not a newly verified exclusive black-tea protection boundary. Contemporary 2010 reporting and a later development review distinguish the 2009 proposal from the 2010 finished product and promotion. The source’s comparison with Yinjunmei is praise, not an objective equivalence test.
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 an identified product if you want a full, sweet-fragrant black tea from a region widely associated with green tea. The choice can be about flavour and craft without a claim that it treats fatigue, digestion or a traditional constitution.
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: short gaiwan infusions
The earlier Chinese prose gives a white porcelain gaiwan, 1:20 tea-to-water ratio, 95–100°C / 203–212°F water and a 5-second pour after adding water. It does not specify a tea dose. The example below makes the ratio explicit; its amounts are an editorial illustration of the prose, not measurements inferred from the separate graphic.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 5 g loose Xinyang Black Tea as an editorial example |
| Actual water | 100 mL / about 3.4 US fl oz, measured; 5 g at 1:20 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe porcelain gaiwan with room for the measured water and leaves |
| Water temperature | 95–100°C / 203–212°F |
| First infusion | 5 seconds, then decant completely; account for filling and pouring time |
| Leaves | Kept separate from the liquid after each pour |
Use your packet’s complete directions first. These inherited methods and editorial examples are awaiting hands-on testing. The earlier five-to-seven-infusion statement is not a guarantee of equal-strength cups. The prose does not specify a leaf rinse; any rinse shown in the separate image is not added silently to this version and is not a validated disinfection step. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
The shared original image gives 5 g, a nominal 110 mL gaiwan, 95–100°C/203–212°F and about 5 seconds for each of the first three drinking infusions, then longer. Actual water after leaf displacement is not supplied. Preheating is not validated sterilisation, and a photographed spring is not a water-safety test. Keep the nominal vessel separate from the prose’s explicit 1:20 ratio example.
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 for maker, actual growing locality, harvest, plant material and black-tea processing. The regional history does not certify a particular packet’s grade. A gold-hair photograph, a political naming story or a comparison with Yinjunmei is not a substitute for traceability.
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 | 500 | 100 |
| Grade 1 | 300 | 60 |
| 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 earlier entry uses a sealed foil or kraft-paper pouch inside a closed, dry container such as a tin, kept cool, dry and away from light and smells. Its casual tea-table or bookshelf example assumes those conditions: use a suitable cupboard if a shelf is sunny or near steam. Reseal the inner pouch after taking tea. Plain paper without a moisture-resistant lining is not equivalent to a sealed foil pouch.
Its historical targets were below 25°C / 77°F and below 50% relative humidity, with a 24-month general shelf-life reference. These are legacy figures, not a freshly verified expiry date or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. The actual product label, seal and storage conditions take precedence. The earlier ordinary-storage method does not require refrigeration; follow any different instruction for your own product.
In a UK or US kitchen
Keep the packet away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, direct sun and spice containers. A decorative outer tin does not replace the inner seal. Keep a small daily portion separate if that helps resealing the main supply. Do not assume a long shelf life from the tea’s dark colour. For opened-packet handling, read storing an opened packet.
Origin, processing and history
The inherited map shows picking, withering, rolling, oxidation and drying. The 2009 proposal, 2010 development and later promotion belong to the modern named black-tea story, not all earlier tea-growing in Xinyang. The simplified map is not a particular maker’s complete schedule or proof of identical quality across all regional products.
Common questions
Is Xinyang Hong just another name for green Xinyang Maojian?
No. This guide concerns black-tea processing and the modern Xinyang Hong development. A region can produce more than one tea family. Check the actual product’s process rather than applying the green tea’s appearance or recipe to the black tea.
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 Xinyang Maojian, or browse the black 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.