At a glance
Xufu Longya is a named Yibin green-tea product with a brand context, rather than the name of every green tea from Yibin. Longya is dragon-bud imagery. The earlier profile describes elegant, slightly flat leaves and a fresh, mellow cup.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 叙府龙芽 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Yibin, Sichuan; earlier Qiuchang / Cuiping association |
| Leaf form | Elegant, slightly flat green buds or strands |
Taste and appearance
The retained tiers describe elegant, slightly flat and even leaves, green colour, pale-green clear liquor and a high, rich, lasting fragrance. The cup is fresh, mellow and brisk with returning sweetness, becoming less brisk or sweet in the next tiers. The inherited cover repeats the Baoding illustration: it is not verified evidence of a particular Xufu lot.
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 | Elegant, slightly flat and even | Elegant, slightly flat and fairly even | Elegant and slightly flat |
| Dry-leaf colour | Green | Green | Green |
| Liquor | Pale green and clear | Pale green, fairly bright | Pale green |
| Aroma | High, rich and lasting fragrance | High, rich and fairly lasting fragrance | High and lasting fragrance |
| Taste | Fresh, mellow and brisk, returning sweetness | Fresh and mellow, fairly brisk | Fresh and mellow, faint returning sweetness |
| Infused leaves | Bright and lively | Bright, fairly lively | Fairly lively |
The three original sensory tiers are retained as an earlier editorial comparison, not a verified current specification for every maker.
Names and origin
The older article associates the tea with Qiuchang in Cuiping, Yibin. A reviewed producer-processing study identifies Xufu Longya in the company’s green-tea product range and describes several raw-material cultivars. This does not establish a single cultivar, one exclusive current garden or the present status of old awards and a 2002 Green Food claim. Keep those dated claims separate from the actual current packet.
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 Xufu Longya for its described aroma, flavour and leaf form. Compare the actual packet and complete preparation rather than a historical ranking or therapeutic promise.
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 Xufu Longya 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 uses a heat-safe glass, 3 g, 85°C / 185°F and 1:50, implying 150 mL actual water by arithmetic. Start with water to one-third of the glass, gently swirl, then fill to seven-tenths and leave 2–3 minutes. Refill at about one-third remaining; it describes roughly three infusions. No vessel capacity is stated. The drawn fill fraction does not independently measure the water volume.
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 maker, growing locality, harvest, leaf selection and grade. Ask for product-specific evidence if a seller claims a current certificate. Old award counts and an inherited cover photograph cannot authenticate a 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 | 600 | 120 |
| Grade 1 | 450 | 90 |
| Grade 2 | 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 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 shows picking, spreading, heat fixing, first baking and moisture redistribution, shaping and removing hairs, baking dry and final pan/aroma finishing. Moisture redistribution here is a processing stage, not an instruction to add water to dry tea. A reviewed Yibin processing study describes maker-specific mixed heating methods; its details do not turn this short diagram into a universal specification.
Common questions
Does Xufu Longya mean all green tea from Yibin?
No. The earlier article explicitly presents it in a product/brand context. Yibin produces other named teas; check the complete name, maker and actual growing source.
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 Baoding Xueya, 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.