Maofeng Tea

Introduction
Mao feng is a term in tea manufacture denoting the picking of a bud and two leaves of equal length. Mao feng teas have a broad, curved, flat shape. It is considered one of the choicest shapes of tea leaf.

Mao feng teas include Huang Shan Mao Feng tea, one of the Famous Teas of China, and Keemun Mao Feng.

Taste
This tea has a delicate natural taste of fresh summer air, peaches and apricots. The infusion will turn clear pale green (not the murky brown you often see with standard green teas).

Brewing Tips
Rinse teacup and teapot in hot water. Place required amount of tea (approx 1-2 tsp for every 150ml water) into glass carafe or glass teapot. Pour hot water 75-85 0 into the carafe or teapot. After 3-5 minutes the flavors will infuse, leaving you to enjoy the visual delights as well as the exceptional taste. For stronger taste leave longer to further infuse. Water may be replenished up to 3 times for your continuous enjoyment.

Storage Tips
Store in a cool, dry area away from direct sunlight. Keep airtight for maximum quality.

Leaf Aroma
The leaf has a pleasantly sweet, mildly fragrant aroma, with a hint of magnolia.

Appearance
The leaves are emerald green, with the young and tender buds taking on an antique ivory luster. The buds are more round than Dragon Well buds. The leaves are small, only 4-5 mm. in length. The highest grades use only one bud and the first leaf. Lower grades will use one bud and two leaves. The brew in the cup usually varies from golden to clear apricot. Some regions and elevations produce liquor that is light chartreuse.

Special Occasions
This Chinese green tea is for times of new beginnings and when memories of spring can help you to look forward. Always finish this tea before the next spring harvest at the end of March, so you can buy a fresh supply.

Serving Suggestions
Mao Feng tea works well with goat cheese, and some cheddars like Cheshire and Dubliner.
It complements mesclun salads, melon and fruit salads, but it really shines with seafood like lobster. It is also good with salmon and rice dishes, as well as standing up to spicy Chinese food.

While it can work with a few chocolates, it is best with apple or raspberry desserts.

Preparation
The highest grades of Mao Feng tea should be steeped no more than three minutes with hot but not boiling water, using up to one tablespoon of leaf per cup. These grades will take up to three infusions. The lower grades can be steeped up to five minutes to extract all the antioxidants.

History
Grown in the Huang Shan Mountains of An Hui province for over 300 years, Mao Feng tea is one of China's 10 Famous Teas. You can still occasionally find for sale a hand-picked harvest from wild tea trees of the Huang Shan Mountains, but it is rare. It has been a tribute tea to emperors and recently, a high grade of Tea King Huang Shan Mao Feng was chosen as a National Gift Tea for presentation to foreign VIPs by the Chinese Foreign Affair Board.
Mao Feng tea is only harvested during Qingding, the spring harvest festival during the spring equinox. For a few days, the buds are plucked just at the beginning of the gentle spring rains when the buds begin to swell. Sometimes lower grades of Mao Feng are picked after the beginning of the heavier rains or Gu Yu, grain rains.

There are also tea gardens that produce Mao Feng tea in southern Zhejiang province and in Sichuan on Mt. Emei, one of the four sacred mountains of Buddhism.

Legend about it
A young man and a beautiful young woman from a tea plantation were in love, but the local tyrant seized her as his concubine. She escaped, only to learn that the tyrant had killed her lover. Finding his body deep in the mountains she wept and wept until she became the rain, while her lover's body turned into a tea bush. Which is why, according to the legend, the area where Mao Feng tea grows is forever cloudy and humid the whole year round.

Processing
This tea is prepared in small batches. The bud and leaves are rolled into a wiry eyebrow shape. You may see a fine downy appearance, instead of a shiny appearance. Drying consists of several stages of heating and cooling to seal the aroma inside the tea. Higher grades have smaller leaves of a more consistent size.

Grades
While "taste is a decision for the mouth to make," the highest grades of Chinese green tea have the highest ratings for taste. They usually come from a higher elevation garden, from wild tea trees, from picking at the right moment during the spring rains, and using careful processing.

Of course, like a great wine, it also has to be a good year.

Brewing

The preferred method of brewing is a small glass teapot or a gaiwan.  Glass in particular makes for a wonderful presentation and greater enjoyment of these spectacular tea leaves. Boil water to 160-180° F or 70-80° C and rinse the gaiwan or teapot once.  By rinsing we ensure the tea ware is free of any unwanted matter as well as create optimal heat conditions for brewing.  After a thorough rinsing add tea leaves to the vessel.  We suggest 4 grams of tea per 200 ml of water. However, these parameters have more to do with personal tastes than any sort of scientific groundings.  The lengths of the infusions are also dependent upon personal preference for either a weaker or stronger infusion.  We suggest starting with shorter infusion times of up to two minutes for the first and second brew while increasing infusion times by one additional minute for each consecutive brew.

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