Xin Yang Mao Jian
Xinyang Mao Jian (fur tip) is the famous green tea of Henan province, grown in the cool mountains around Xinyang in central China, well north of the classic green-tea heartland. Tightly curled slender buds carry fine down, and the cup is clean, brisk, and refreshing with a lingering sweetness and a characteristic fresh-chestnut note. It is one of China's ten famous teas.
Tight, thin, curled buds and small leaves with visible fine down; the down can make the first infusion look slightly cloudy, which is normal for a downy bud tea rather than a fault. The cup is fresh, brisk, and clean with a chestnut-like sweetness and a clear finish. Genuine Xinyang (Henan) material, especially from the named core mountains, is the benchmark, and the style is imitated elsewhere.
From the Xinyang area in southern Henan, at the northern edge of viable tea country, where cold winters and misty mountains slow growth and sharpen the flavor. Core production areas such as the Five Clouds, Two Pools, and One Stockade are traditionally cited for the best lots. The cool climate and downy bud picking give the tea its brisk, clean signature.
Western: 75-80°C, 3 g per 200 ml, 1-2 minutes. Glass brewing is common and shows the downy buds. Gongfu: 80°C, 4 g per 120 ml, 20-30 seconds, 3-4 infusions. Cooler water keeps the cup sweet rather than sharp.
Xinyang Mao Jian style green runs €15-35 (about $16-38) per 100 g. Authentic core-area early-spring material reaches €45-100 (about $49-108) per 100 g.
Prices reviewed June 2026
Xinyang sits near the northernmost limit of commercial tea cultivation in China, and the long, cold winters there are credited with the tea's clean, brisk character. It has been produced in the region for over a thousand years and is the only nationally famous tea from Henan province.