Huangshan Mao Feng (黃山毛峰)
archetype: Young monk on the mountain
A young monk in the morning mist: a mountain freshness, an orchid tenderness, a cool clarity of mind.
History
Huang Shan Mao Feng — 'hairy peaks of the Yellow Mountains' — is one of the ten famous teas of China, from the Huangshan reserve in Anhui. The bush grows among cliffs and waterfalls at 700–1200 m; the leaf is gathered only in spring, before Qingming, and only the buds with their white down. It is dried by hand in three passes — the leaf keeps its faint 'pigeon's tongue' curl.
Terroir
The best gardens are the villages of Tengxi, Fuxi and Gukeng. Leaves from misty slopes above 900 m yield the finest orchid note.
Leaf
wild orchid, steamed pod, a cool sweetness, a long morning freshness thin, cool, long for a green tea
Properties
high theanine and catechin content; gentle stimulation, supports breathing and metabolism light, rising into the head; felt as a 'window opening' at the temples moderate (25–40 mg)
Brewing ritual
a glass of 200 ml or a 150 ml gaiwan; 78 °C; 4 g / 200 ml. 40s — the first mist: orchid, coolness; 60s — the peak: a mountain sweetness, a steamed pod; 90s — a long echo, a morning freshness.
When to drink
morning and early day. spring. when you need to stop, for contemplation, on a quiet morning