Mao Feng
Huangshan Mao Feng (fur peak) is a classic Chinese green from the Yellow Mountains of Anhui, made from a bud and one or two tender leaves with visible white down. It is prized for a clean, fresh, orchid-like fragrance and a smooth, gently sweet cup, and it sits among China's ten famous teas. High-mountain mist and early picking define the best grades.
Slender, slightly curved leaf sets with a clear bud and fine white down, the fur the name refers to; the more even and downy, the higher the grade. The aroma should be fresh and orchid-like, the cup smooth and lightly sweet with little astringency. Genuine Huangshan material is the benchmark, though Mao Feng style green is now made widely. Early-spring picking before Qingming yields the finest lots.
The most celebrated Mao Feng is Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) Mao Feng from Anhui, where high-altitude mist and cool nights slow growth and concentrate aroma. Mao Feng as a name and shaping style is also produced in other provinces with varying quality, so the Huangshan origin distinction matters. The cultivar and the high-mountain terroir together produce the signature orchid fragrance.
Western: 80-85°C, 3 g per 200 ml, 2 minutes. Glass or gaiwan brewing shows the leaf well. Gongfu: 80°C, 4 g per 120 ml, 20-30 seconds ascending, 3-4 infusions. Keep the water off the boil to protect the fragrance.
Everyday Mao Feng style green runs €12-30 (about $13-32) per 100 g. Authentic early-spring Huangshan Mao Feng reaches €40-90 (about $43-97) per 100 g.
Prices reviewed June 2026
Longjing (Dragon Well)
The pan-flattened Jiangnan benchmark, nuttier and rounder than Mao Feng's orchid-fresh profile.
Bi Luo Chun
The spiral-rolled, fruitier downy green; both are delicate, but the shape and aroma diverge.
Taiping Houkui
The other famous Anhui green, with dramatic large flat leaves and a related orchid note.
Huangshan Mao Feng was developed in the late 19th century and named for the fine white down on its tender buds and the mist-shrouded peaks where it grows. The Yellow Mountains' near-constant cloud cover is credited with the slow growth and concentrated aroma that distinguish the top grades.