Mao Jian毛尖

Mao Jian is a Mao Jian green tea from Henan, China (generic style produced across multiple provinces). Brew it at 80°C with 3g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 5 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.

Tasting notes

Mao Jian as a generic style is shorthand for "small, tightly rolled, downy green tea" — and within that shorthand lives a huge range. A generic Mao Jian from a cheap tin is a clean, grassy, gently sweet green with a faint chestnut echo and not much depth. A good one from Xin Yang or Du Yun is a different animal entirely, thick with umami or lifted with floral sweetness. The thing that stays constant across the category is the small leaf and the fast extraction — Mao Jian teas don't need long steeps. Fifteen to twenty seconds on the first pour at 80°C is usually right; any hotter and the downy hairs release a scratchy astringency that follows you through the session. Four or five infusions is the realistic range. This is a good style for learning green tea brewing because it punishes overbrewing quickly and clearly, and the feedback loop is honest.

Flavor profile

Mao Jian is a broad category of Chinese green teas characterized by small, tightly rolled leaves covered in fine downy hairs. The general style yields a clean, vegetal cup with moderate sweetness and a hint of chestnut. Flavor intensity and complexity vary significantly by origin — Xin Yang (Henan) and Du Yun (Guizhou) are the most celebrated examples.

Terroir

Varies by production region

Brewing

1. Steep 1: 20 seconds
2. Steep 2: 20 seconds
3. Steep 3: 30 seconds
4. Steep 4: 40 seconds
5. Steep 5: 50 seconds

A general style — adjust parameters based on the specific origin. Finer buds need cooler water and shorter steeps.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• pan-fired
• hand-rolled

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinyang_Maojian_tea
• https://kuanyinteas.com/products/mao-jian
• https://inpursuitoftea.com/products/mao-jian-green-tea