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Green TeaGuide

Xinyang Mao Jian: Henan's Award-Winning Green Tea

By 4 min read

Xinyang Mao Jian (信阳毛尖, "Downy Tips of Xinyang") is a green tea from Xinyang in Henan province, one of the most northern of China's famous teas. The leaves are thin, straight, tightly rolled needles covered in fine down. It tastes fresh and bright: young grass and green beans at first, then a juicy sweetness often compared to watermelon or ripe peach, and it changes noticeably from steep to steep. It won a top award at the 1915 San Francisco exposition and appears on most lists of China's ten famous teas. Brew at 80–85 °C.

I'll be honest: I overlooked Xinyang Mao Jian for years because its name sounded like a generic "mao jian", and there are a lot of generic mao jians. Then a friend who travels to Henan brought me a small bag from the spring harvest. The first steep was grassy and bright, the second tasted almost exactly like the pale flesh near a watermelon rind, and the third turned to ripe peach. I wrote three different tasting notes for one tea in my log, which almost never happens with green tea.

Where it comes from#

Xinyang is in the south of Henan province, on the northern edge of China's tea-growing area. Cooler weather means slower growth, which many tea drinkers credit for Mao Jian's concentrated flavour. "Mao jian" (毛尖) means "downy tips": the fine hairs on the young buds and leaves. Many regions make teas called mao jian, but Xinyang's is the famous one.

At the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915, where Chinese teas won many awards, Xinyang Mao Jian was among the top prize winners, alongside Tai Ping Hou Kui and Keemun. It's on most versions of the list of China's ten famous teas.

What it tastes like#

SteepWhat to expect
1–2Fresh grass, green beans, a bright, clean edge
3–4Juicier: watermelon rind, sweet green fruit
5–6Softer, ripe peach and a lingering sweetness

The liquor is pale green-yellow and clear. The texture is lighter than Longjing's, with more brightness. A good one has a clean, gentle bitterness that turns sweet quickly; a harsh, lingering bitterness means over-brewing or low-grade leaf.

Xinyang Mao Jian vs other green teas#

Xinyang Mao JianLongjingBi Luo Chun
RegionHenanZhejiangJiangsu
LeafThin straight needles, downyFlat, smooth bladesTiny downy spirals
TasteGrass, then watermelon and peachToasted beans, chestnutFruity, floral, very aromatic
CharacterBright, changingNutty, savouryPerfumed, delicate

How to brew Xinyang Mao Jian#

MethodLeafWaterTime
Tall glass3 g per 250 ml80 °CSip after 2 min; top up at a third
Gongfu4–5 g per 100 ml80–85 °C, no rinse15 s, +5 s; 5–7 steeps
Mug2–3 g per 250 ml80 °C1.5 min max

In a glass, the needles float and slowly sink, standing upright for a while. In a gaiwan, keep the lid off between steeps. Boiling water makes it harsh: see why green tea is bitter.

My session: gongfu, spring harvest#

4 g in a 100 ml porcelain gaiwan, 82 °C.

Steep 1 (15 s). Pale green-gold. Fresh grass and green beans; bright, a clean bitter edge that turns sweet.

Steep 2 (20 s). Juicier. Watermelon rind, sweet.

Steep 4 (30 s). Ripe peach, softer, very pleasant.

Steep 6 (50 s). Light, sweet water.

How to choose good Xinyang Mao Jian#

  • Thin, straight, even needles, tightly rolled, with visible fine down.
  • Bright green, not yellow or brown.
  • A fresh, clean, green smell; no hay or smoke.
  • Early spring harvest, clearly stated.
  • "Xinyang" on the label: a plain "mao jian" could be from anywhere.

Storage#

Like all green tea: airtight, opaque, cool, away from smells, and drink it within about a year, ideally within a few months of harvest. See how to store tea.

Myths#

"All mao jian is Xinyang Mao Jian." Many regions make mao jian; Xinyang's is the famous one.

"Northern green tea is weaker." Xinyang's cooler climate gives a concentrated, lively tea.

"Green tea tastes the same every steep." Xinyang Mao Jian is proof that it doesn't.

My honest take#

Xinyang Mao Jian is the green tea I recommend to people who find green tea one-dimensional. Brew it gongfu and pay attention from steep to steep: grass, melon, peach. It's one of the most rewarding teas on the ten famous teas list, and one of the least talked about.

The bottom line#

Xinyang Mao Jian is a bright, downy-needled green tea from Henan that moves from grass to watermelon to peach across its steeps. Brew it at 80–85 °C, buy early spring harvests labelled Xinyang, 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

Steep 115s

Questions people ask

What is Xinyang Mao Jian?

A famous green tea from Xinyang, Henan, made from thin, downy needles.

What does Xinyang Mao Jian taste like?

Fresh grass and green beans, then watermelon and peach in later steeps.

How do you brew Xinyang Mao Jian?

80–85 °C: 3 g in a 250 ml glass, or 4–5 g per 100 ml gongfu.

Is Xinyang Mao Jian one of China's ten famous teas?

It's on most versions of the list.

What does "mao jian" mean?

"Downy tips", after the fine hairs on the young leaves.

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