Mao Jian

Mao Jian is a green tea from Xinyang Mountain in Henan China with a potent cooling effect. On the little leaves are little-er hairs. When doused, the downy fluff darts off like pollen from a spring pine. On the right brew, the thickness is immaculate. I can see the fluff spinning in my cup as the breeze tunnels into it.  The name Mao Jian appropriately translates to “hair tips.” Don’t let their soft demeanor fool you though. They are potent. You don’t need to use as much volume as with other tea. The small leaves are immaculately harvested—quite uniform, these little buds. For the water, I recommend 195º F and shortish steep. If you follow this guidance, the Mao Jian will lavish you. It’s not a fickle tea, though it does have strong preferences.  Peddler’s note: Sitting with this green, relaxing, I feel the vastness of the summer sky. It’s a feeling of time stretching out and the relative freedom of being small. Mao Jian brings qi to the head, locating us for a moment in the sky realm