Green TeaGuide
Tai Ping Hou Kui: The Green Tea with the Longest Leaves
Tai Ping Hou Kui (太平猴魁, often translated "Monkey King" or "Monkey Chief") is a famous green tea from Taiping in southern Anhui, near Huangshan. It's instantly recognizable: its leaves are huge, flat and straight, often longer than a finger, pressed by hand so thin that you can sometimes see a faint grid pattern from the pressing cloth. It tastes smooth and gentle: orchid, fresh greens, a light sweetness, very little bitterness. Brew it in a tall glass at 80–85 °C, where the long leaves can stand upright.
The first time I opened a bag of Tai Ping Hou Kui, I laughed. It looked like someone had pressed a handful of large leaves in a flower press. You can't brew it in a normal gaiwan without folding the leaves, so I dropped a few into a tall glass, and they stood up in the water like a little bamboo grove. It's the most theatrical green tea I own, and also one of the gentlest.
What makes it special#
Tai Ping Hou Kui is made from a local large-leaf variety that produces long, tender shoots. A bud and two leaves are picked in spring, usually in April. After pan-firing to stop oxidation, the leaves are laid out straight and flattened, traditionally pressed between layers of cloth, then dried. The finished tea is long, flat and dark olive green, sometimes with a faint crosshatch pattern from the cloth, and often with a reddish vein.
It appears on many versions of China's famous-tea lists; see China's ten famous teas.
How it tastes#
- Dry leaf: fresh, green, orchid.
- Aroma: orchid and spring greens, sometimes a light fruity note.
- Taste: smooth, soft and sweet, with a gentle vegetal freshness and little bitterness.
- Liquor: pale green-yellow, very clear.
Next to its Anhui neighbours, it's more orchid-like than Huangshan Mao Feng and much lighter than Lu An Gua Pian.
How to brew Tai Ping Hou Kui#
In a tall glass (best)#
Use a tall glass, at least 15 cm high. Put 3–4 g of leaves in, stems down if you can, pour water at 80–85 °C, and let them stand upright. Drink when the leaves have opened; top up when a third is left. See grandpa style.
Gongfu#
| Leaf / 100 ml | Water | Rinse | 1st steep | Then | Steeps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4–5 g | 80–85 °C | No | 20 s | +5 s | 5–7 |
Use a large gaiwan and fold the leaves gently rather than breaking them. The leaves are thick and open slowly, so steeps can be a little longer than for bud teas. Full chart: gongfu brewing chart.
My session in a glass#
3 g in a tall 300 ml glass, water at 82 °C.
After 2 minutes. The leaves stand upright. Pale green, orchid and fresh beans. Smooth and sweet.
First top-up. Fuller, a light fruity note, still no bitterness.
Second top-up. Soft and gentle, like a sweet vegetable broth.
How to choose good Tai Ping Hou Kui#
- Long, straight, whole leaves, flat and even; broken leaves suggest lower grades.
- Dark olive-green colour, often with a reddish central vein.
- Fresh orchid smell; not stale or dusty.
- Spring harvest of the current year.
How to store it#
Like all green tea: airtight, dark, cool and away from smells. Handle it gently; the long leaves break easily. Drink it within about a year.
Myths about Tai Ping Hou Kui#
"Longer leaves mean older, tougher tea." The long leaves come from the local variety and the pressing, not from old growth. They're tender.
"It's hard to brew." It's one of the most forgiving greens. The only trick is the tall glass.
Tai Ping Hou Kui vs Longjing: my side-by-side#
Two of China's most famous green teas, both flat-leaved, both from the same corner of eastern China. I brewed them in two tall glasses, 3 g each, 250 ml, water at 80 °C.
| Tai Ping Hou Kui | Longjing | |
|---|---|---|
| Dry leaf | Very long (often 5–7 cm or more), flat, dark green, with a faint criss-cross pattern | Short, flat, smooth, jade-green |
| In the glass | Leaves stand upright like a forest | Leaves float, then slowly sink |
| Aroma | Orchid, fresh greens | Toasted beans, chestnut |
| Taste | Smooth, sweet, lightly floral | Nutty, savoury, a little brighter |
| Bitterness | Almost none | Low, but more sensitive to heat |
| After two top-ups | Still sweet, like a light broth | Softer, still nutty |
If Longjing is the nutty, toasty classic, Tai Ping Hou Kui is the gentler, more floral one. It's also more forgiving: I've left it in the glass for half an hour and it was still pleasant, which I'd never risk with Longjing.
A whole day with one glass#
Tai Ping Hou Kui is my favourite green tea for grandpa style: the long leaves stay at the bottom and never end up in your mouth. On a spring workday I put 3 g in a tall glass at 9 in the morning, top it up whenever it's a third full, and it keeps going until mid-afternoon. The first glass is the most floral, the middle ones the sweetest, and the last ones taste like a delicate vegetable broth. Few teas give that much for so little effort.
My honest take#
Buy a small amount just for the experience of brewing it in a glass. It's beautiful, it's gentle, and it's a great way to show someone that green tea can be smooth and sweet.
The bottom line#
Tai Ping Hou Kui is Anhui's long-leaf, hand-pressed green tea: orchid, fresh greens and a smooth, sweet cup. Brew it upright in a tall glass at 80–85 °C and drink it fresh. More in my Chinese green tea guide.
Steep timer
3–5 g per 100 ml75–85 °CNo rinseUp to 7 steeps
Questions people ask
What is Tai Ping Hou Kui?
A famous green tea from Taiping in Anhui, known for its very long, flat, hand-pressed leaves.
What does Tai Ping Hou Kui taste like?
Smooth and sweet, with orchid and fresh green notes and very little bitterness.
How do you brew Tai Ping Hou Kui?
Best in a tall glass: 3–4 g, water at 80–85 °C, leaves standing upright.
Why are Tai Ping Hou Kui leaves so long?
They come from a local large-leaf variety and are pressed flat and straight by hand.