Xinyang Maojian tea (; pronounced ), also known as Yu Maofeng, is a green tea produced in Xinyang, Henan. It is often designated as a famous Chinese tea. It is one of the top ten famous teas in China and one of the famous specialties in Henan Province. The main producing areas are in Xinhe City (now Xinyang City), Pingqiao District (formerly Xinyang County), Guangshan County, Xin County, and Luoshan County. Created by Han tea farmers. In the early years of the Republic of China, the top five tea houses in Xinyang Tea District produced the high-quality Benshan Maojian tea, which was officially named "Xinyang Maojian".
Characteristics
Xinyang Maojian is known for its unique and delicious flavor. The color is yellowish especially when boiled with water. The tea liquor is slightly thick and tastes refreshingly brisk and with a long-lasting aftertaste.
The tea leaves, which are covered in abundant white hairs, are thin, tender and evenly shaped. The leaves are commonly known as "hairy tips", a name that refers to their slightly dark-green color, straight and delicate edges, and thin and firmly rolled appearance with both ends in a pointed shape. The regular length of a Xinyang Maojian tea leaf is about 0.5–1 inches.
Comparing it with other famous types of green tea, Mao Jian leaves are relatively small. After brewing Maojian and pouring the water into a teacup, the aroma will flow into the air and create a peaceful atmosphere.
Another notable characteristic of the Xinyang Maojian is its fragrant aroma. This is attributed to the presence of significant amounts of acids and esters such as the Hexadecanoic and Phthalic acids, which collectively give off a strong floral smell. The leaves, which tends to form balls, release a rather pungent smell when stored for a long time. It needs air, or the lack of oxygen will release an odor, to make up for the lack of oxygen.
Recognitions
In 1915, at the Panama International Exposition, it won the gold medal with Kweichow Moutai. In 1990, the Xinyang Maojian brand also participated in the national appraisal and won the first place in the comprehensive quality of green tea. Xinyang Maojian is known as the "king of green tea". Xinyang Maojian brand ranks third in the value of public brands in China's tea region for many years. In 2017, in the evaluation of China's tea regional brand value, Xinyang Maojian ranked second in the brand value list with 5.991 billion yuan.
History
Xinyang Maojian () is one type of green tea that originally was produced in central China. The name can be divided into two parts that are associated with two aspects: "Xinyang" () is for Xinyang city in Henan, China that produces this type of tea; "mao jian" () are the words to depict the shape of the tea — "mao" () means tiny fuzz in cup when brewed and "jian" () refers to shape the leaves: sharp, full young leaves.
Xinyang has a tea history dating back to 2300 years ago. In 1987, at Gushi County of Xinyang, tea was discovered in an ancient tomb.
In 1080AD in Song dynasty, one of the greatest scholar Su shi commented that "Xinyang tea is the best among all tea from area of southern Huai river"
In the past century, Xinyang Maojian has been considered one of the 10 best teas in China. It has a wide market and popularity in Henan province, where people drink it as a relaxing beverage after a busy day.
In Xinyang Maojian history, there were eight famous tea shops: Yuanzhen Tea (元贞茶社, 1903) Longtan Tea (龙潭茶社, 1903) Hongji/Cheyun Tea (宏济/车云茶社, 1910) Yushen Tea (裕申茶, 1911) Guangyi Tea (广益茶社, 1912) Wanshou Tea (万寿茶社, 1913) Guangsheng Tea (广生茶社, 1915) Bohou Tea (博厚茶社, 1919)
In 1914, Longtan Tea and other shops sent teas to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition and won a gold medal. Over the next 100 years, the tea shops disappeared, while Longtan Tea has survived and developed into a group of companies known as Henan Xinyang Maojian Group.
Origin
In southern Henan Province, Xinyang is a place with a mild climate and good conditions for growing trees that produce the tea's unique quality: Xinyang tea trees are planted at high altitudes where the weather is clearly divided by four seasons. Many high mountains, such as Mt. Cheyun, Mt. Jiyun, and Mt. Tianyun, surround the location and support environmental humidification and moisture. Moreover, the location is abundant with forests, clouds, rainfall, with large temperature difference between day and night. These geographical advantages help keep Xinyang's soil healthy and fertile, while trees more efficiently absorb chemical elements to produce higher quality green tea.