Huangshan Maofeng vs Xinyang Maojian: 7 Key Differences
Huangshan Mao Feng and Xinyang Mao Jian are both famous green teas in China, and because of their similar appearance (both with white hairs and curly shape), many people tend to confuse them. But in fact, they are in the tea tree varieties, shape, picking time, production process, brewing performance, aroma and flavor, etc. are significantly different.
1. Different tea tree varieties
- Huangshan Mao Feng: made from fresh leaves of large and medium leaf species of tea trees, with obvious white hairs.
- Xinyang Mao Jian: made from fresh leaves of small-leafed tea trees, the white hairs are more subtle. 2.
2. Different shapes
Huangshan Mao Feng:
- Tea leaves are about half an inch long, thin flat and slightly curled, shaped like a bird’s tongue.
- The color is green with yellowish, oily and bright, and the white hairs are obvious.
- The finished product is mainly leaves, with a few buds.
Xinyang Mao Jian:
- The shape is thin and straight, round and smooth, with bright green color and covered with silver hairs.
- Characteristics can be summarized as: fine, straight, round, light, tight, more white hair.
- Finished products are mainly buds, there are pure buds, one bud and one leaf, one bud and two leaves, etc. The harvesting time and standards are different.
3. Different picking time and standard
Huangshan Mao Feng:
- Only picking spring tea (Qingming to summer), not picking summer tea and fall tea.
- Local proverb: “before summer tea, after summer grass”.
Xinyang Mao Jian:
Long picking period, from mid-March to late September.
Divided by season:
- Spring Tea (Early Garden Tea, Qingming Tea, Pre-Rain Tea, Spring Tail Tea)
- Summer tea
- Autumn tea (white dew tea)
4. Different production processes
Huangshan Mao Feng (baked green tea):
- The process is relatively simple, including killing, kneading, first baking, milling, re-baking.
Xinyang Mao Jian (fried green tea):
- The process is more complex, a total of nine processes: sieving, spreading, killing, kneading, untwisting, striping, initial drying, cooling, and re-drying.
5. Different brewing performance
Huangshan Mao Feng:
- Tea leaves first float on the water surface, slowly sink after absorbing water.
- The tea broth is tender yellowish green, clear and bright, and there may be tea hairs suspended (“muck” phenomenon).
- After brewing, the buds and leaves are suspended vertically and then slowly sink.
Xinyang Mao Jian:
- The tea leaves sink directly to the bottom and do not float.
- The tea broth is beige-green, clear and transparent.
- If the soup color is thick green, it means the quality is poor.
6. Different aroma and flavor
Huangshan Mao Feng:
- The aroma is elegant and long, similar to orchids.
- Mellow flavor, fresh and thick, not bitter, sweet aftertaste.
Xinyang Mao Jian:
- The aroma is long and high, like ripe chestnuts.
- The flavor is strong and fresh, with a pronounced sweet aftertaste.
7. Leaf bottom (soaked tea leaves) is different
- Huangshan Maofeng: the bottom of the leaf is tender and yellow, the tip of the leaf is bright, and the root of the leaf is slightly red.
- Xinyang Mao Jian: the bottom of the leaf is tender and green, the buds and leaves are uniform and soft.
