Mao Feng is a classic Chinese tea that is ubiquitous in the tea market. It can be called Mao Feng because of the cultivar, or because of the plucking standard, as the Mao Feng “pluck” traditionally refers to a bud plus one leaf pluck, or it can be just a marketing name. This tea is from a Mao Feng hybrid cultivar grown in Yunnan and it is a premium grade Mao Feng pluck. It is not rolled like most green teas, leaving the large, hairy buds and leaves mostly intact.
Provenance:
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Origin: Ning’Er Town, Yin Pan Mtn., Simao Prefecture, Yunnan
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Grower/Teamaster: Wang Si Kai
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Elevation: 1400 meters
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Harvest Date: Spring 2023 First Flush
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Cultivar: Mao Feng: Chang Ye Bai Hao and Yun Kang hybrid
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Cultivation: Natural (Organic, no certification)
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Plucking Standard: Bud and one Leaf
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Processing Notes: Hand-processed in small batches
Brewing Suggestions1:
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Water: 170-180˚F
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Tea: 2g per 4oz of water (about a level 2 TB2)
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Infusion: 2 minutes for 2-3 infusions
Tasting Notes:
- Bold green vegetal tea flavor with nutty notes.
1 Brewing suggestions are just that. Try it the suggested way then experiment. In this case I suggest first experimenting with an “Eastern” style infusion: double the quantity of tea per oz of water and do a quick rinse followed by short infusions of 5 sec, 10 sec, 15 sec, 30 sec, 45 sec, and then 1 minute infusions until the tea is steeped out. I usually use a much smaller infusion vessel for this style, maybe 2-4oz as I am going to get so many infusions out of the tea. You can also experiment with temperature as the tea can handle hotter water with the short infusion times. Some tea drinkers like to use slightly hotter and longer times for each subsequent infusion.
2 Weighing your tea is always the best way to control your dosage. I provide approximate volume measures for convenience but they can be problematic due to the variance in tea leaf shape and size. It’s best to use the single appropriate volume measure for the tea, i.e., don’t try to measure 1.5TB using two spoons meant to measure 1 TB and a ½ TB. Use an actual 1.5 TB measuring spoon. Yes, they make them! I like the oblong ones to handle longer leaf styles.