Description
Meng Ding Mao Feng (蒙顶毛峰) is a refreshing early spring green tea from the Sichuan Province of China. It is made entirely from buds and small leaves, producing a delicate yet complex liquor. Meng Ding Mao Feng green tea was picked on 10 March 2024 around Mengding Mountain in Mingshan District of Sichuan Province.
Mengding Mountain is a famous tea growing area with a history of cultivation that stretches over 1,000 years. Around 1,200 years ago, Mengding Mountain became one of the areas to be designated for production of tribute tea to the Chinese Imperial Palace. Teas here are generally picked earlier than in many other places in China, with the picking of this Meng Ding Mao Feng occurring in the middle of March, and other teas in the area being picked as early as late February.
Unlike most other Chinese green teas, Meng Ding Mao Feng is not pan fried but instead undergoes steaming. This results in a profile that is closer to Japanese green teas, which are commonly steamed. Steaming imparts a fresher, greener and grassier flavour profile, which is somewhere between a Chinese and a Japanese green tea in flavour and quite close to some of our Korean green teas. Perhaps this is one of the least typical and most uniquely flavoured Chinese green teas that we are offer.
The long small wiry leaves of this Meng Ding Mao Feng are very tightly rolled. When brewed they unfurl and you are able to see the small buds and leaves that make up this tea. The produced liquor has a bright hue that is lightly green in colour and has a fresh grassy aroma. It has a creamy and herbaceous profile with green floral notes and there is a slight, barely noticeable astringency on the aftertaste. Overall a refreshing and bright tea that has a lightly grassy and herbaceous flavour. Excellent for mind clarity and concentration.
We suggest brewing parameters of 80°C for 2-3 minutes according to your taste. If you are finding the tea a little too astringent for your taste, you can decrease the water temperature to 70-75°C.
This Meng Ding Mao Feng green tea was first featured in our August 2018 and June 2022 Curious Tea Subscription Boxes.