Xinyang Maojian Tea

Xinyang Maojian Tea

Xinyang Maojian tea (信阳毛尖, Xìn Yáng Máo Jiān) is a kind of Chinese green tea and is one of the top 10 famous Chinese tea. It is native to the Xinyang City of Henan Province, so it is called Xinyang Maojian.

Xinyang Maojian has another name called Yu Maofeng. Yu is a shortened form of Henan Province. Maofeng is similar to Maojian. Xinyang Maojian tea has unique characteristics of “fine, round, fragrant, and strong taste”. It is one of the famous specialties in Henan Province.

Xinyang Maojian tea is known as the “King of Green Tea”. Its brand has been ranked second in the regional public brand value of tea in China for many years. The first is Pu-erh tea and the third is Biluochun tea.

Maojian is a collective term. In other words, there are different kinds of Maojian teas. Xinyang Maojian tea is just one of the Maojian teas.

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History of Xinyang Maojian Tea

The spread of tea is closely related to politics, economy, culture, transportation, and climate. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC), the political and economic center of China was in Henan Province. At that time, tea was spread to Henan Province and took root and developed in the Xinyang area.

Modern archaeologists had discovered tea with a history of more than 2,300 years in the ancient tombs unearthed in Xinyang City.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), tea production began to flourish. Xinyang had become a famous tea area of Huainan. Huainan means “the south of Huai River”. At that time, the high-quality teas produced in Xinyang were designated as tribute teas to send to the emperors or nobles.
During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the production of Xinyang tea began to decline gradually due to the excessive tax on tea.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), influenced by the reform movement of 1898, some tea merchants began to cultivate tea gardens and grow tea trees. Later, tea production gradually revived.

The unique characteristics of Xinyang Maojian tea were formed in the early 20th century. The tea farmers paid much attention to the improvement of processing technology of Xinyang Maojian tea, which made Xinyang Maojian tea develop rapidly.

After the founding of New China, the government attached great importance to the development of tea production and adopted a series of supportive measures. Xinyang Maojian tea got greater development, and its production area continued to expand.

Growth Environment of Xinyang Maojian Tea

The tea trees grow in a high mountain area with an altitude of 300-800 meters. In the mountain, the forest is dense, the vegetation is rich, the rainfall is abundant, the clouds and fog are diffuse, and the air is humid. The soil is mostly yellow-black sandy loam, the soil layer is deep and loose, and the content of humus is high.

This special natural environment is very conducive to the synthesis and accumulation of nutrient substances in tea.

Characteristics of Xinyang Maojian Tea

Xinyang Maojian tea has unique characteristics in color, fragrance, taste, and shape. Its color is green and shiny. Its fragrance is elegant and fresh. Its taste is mellow and sweet.

From the appearance, it is covered with white hairs. The shape is fine, round, and smooth. The tea liquid is light green or yellow-green, with a lasting fragrance. The tea liquid of the low-quality Xinyang Maojian tea is dark green and turbid and its fragrance is not strong and lasting.

Types of Xinyang Maojian Tea

According to the growing season of Xinyang Maojian tea, Xinyang Maojian tea can be classified into spring tea, summer tea, and autumn tea.

Spring Tea

It refers to the tea that is picked before the end of May. At this time, the shoots, buds, and leaves of the tea trees are very new and tender, so spring tea has the best quality. Spring tea can also be classified into three types.

Ming Qian tea: the tea is picked before the Qingming Festival (around April 5). Ming refers to the Qingming Festival. Qian means “before”. During this period, the buds are the most tender and the tea is made from 100% of buds. This kind of tea is the highest grade tea of Xinyang Maojian.

Yu Qian tea: the tea is picked before the Grain Rain (around April 20). Yu means “rain”. The buds began to grow into a bud with a leaf. It is second only to the Ming Qian tea, and its taste is slightly enhanced.

Spring Tail tea: the spring will be gone, and the tea is picked before the end of May. Compared with Ming Qian tea and Yu Qian tea, its taste is mellow and the price is relatively cheap.

Summer Tea

It refers to the tea picked from June to July. As the temperature rises, the tea leaves grow rapidly. The soluble matters in the tea leaves reduce, and the bitter substances such as caffeine and anthocyanin increase. Therefore, summer tea tastes slightly bitter, and its fragrance is not as strong as spring tea, but its price is usually cheap.

Autumn Tea

It is picked after August. After spring and summer picking, the fresh materials in newly grown leaves are relatively less, but their flavor and fragrance are mellow and rich.

Benefits of Xinyang Maojian Tea

Xinyang Maojian tea is rich in protein, amino acids, alkaloids, tea polyphenols, sugar, organic acids, aromatic substances, vitamins A, B1, B2, C, K, and P, and water-soluble minerals.

Benefits of Xinyang Maojian tea:

  • Detox
  • Refresh
  • Skincare
  • Anti-aging
  • Anti-cancer
  • Weight loss
  • Improve eyesight
  • Promote digestion
  • Inhibit atherosclerosis
  • Improve blood circulation