At a glance
Yangyan Gouqing is the hooked green tea associated with Yangyan in Linhai, Zhejiang. Gouqing describes its hooked green-tea identity. It should not be translated as Wuyi rock oolong simply because yan, rock, appears in the place name.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 羊岩勾青 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Yangyan Mountain tea-farm context, Hetou, Linhai, Taizhou, Zhejiang |
| Leaf form | Tight, hooked or kidney-shaped green leaves |
Taste and appearance
The earlier comparison describes tight, weighty hooked or kidney-shaped leaves, green to dark-green colour and yellow-green liquor. Tender rich aroma accompanies full mellow taste and returning sweetness in the upper tier. The old five-tastes life analogy is figurative; astringency is not proof of a health effect.
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 | Kidney-shaped, hooked, tight and weighty | Kidney-shaped, hooked and tight | Kidney-shaped and hooked |
| Dry-leaf colour | Subdued green, fresh and lustrous | Subdued green, fairly fresh and lustrous | Dark green |
| Liquor | Yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green, fairly bright | Yellow-green |
| Aroma | Tender, rich and lasting | Tender and rich | Tender and rich |
| Taste | Full and mellow, returning sweetness | Full and mellow, fairly fresh | Full, mellow and pleasant |
| Infused leaves | Fine tender shoot sets, bright and lively | Fine tender shoot sets, fairly lively | Tender-green shoot sets |
The old three sensory columns are retained. The producer’s 2018 standard preface mentions a wider grade structure, and a separate interview describes a broader commercial range. Neither proves this inherited table is the complete current standard.
Names and origin
The producer’s own history connects the name with hooked leaves and describes development from trials related to Linhai Panhao, followed by mechanisation. A separate interview with the farm corroborates the local green-tea and brand context; the regional tea-tour account independently names the two local products separately. The producer’s 2003 history says early 1990 s, while its 2018 standard preface says late 1980 s: the exact founding date is not resolved into one new year here. Population material and one-bud-one-leaf are a described practice, not a guarantee for every future branded product.
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 Yangyan Gouqing through the described flavour and leaf form. Try a traceable small packet with its complete brewing instructions; no health benefit is promised.
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 Yangyan Gouqing 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 begins by warming a heat-safe glass, then uses 3 g, 85°C / 185°F and 1:50, implying 150 mL actual water by arithmetic. Add water to one-third, gently swirl, fill to seven-tenths and wait 2–3 minutes before drinking. Refill at about one-third remaining; roughly three infusions are described. It supplies no vessel capacity or separate tea-rinse step. The fill fraction does not independently measure actual water.
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 the actual growing source, maker, harvest and any claimed mark authorisation. A translated name, leaf shape or inherited photograph is not a certificate for 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 | 420 | 84 |
| Grade 1 | 280 | 56 |
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 retained map labels picking, spreading, heat fixing, rolling, small-pan working and paired-pan working. The producer’s development account describes trials and later mechanisation, rather than an unchanged ancient route. A separate farm interview corroborates those listed stages. The producer’s accessible 2018 standard page is a preface and revision account, not the complete sensory tables; it mentions an added fourth grade, and the independent interview describes a broader commercial range. The inherited three-column comparison is therefore not a full catalogue or current standard.
Common questions
Is Yangyan Gouqing a rock oolong or just another name for Panhao?
No. This entry concerns hooked green tea from the Yangyan farm context. Its development has links to Panhao, but the names are separate; the place-name character yan does not make it Wuyi oolong.
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 Linhai Panhao, 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.