Judging Huang Shan Mao Feng by Appearance.

Of all the teas that are easy to judge by appearance, Mao Feng is probably the easiest.

Before I continue, I want to make it clear that what I have here is a personal opinion based on years of living in Huang Shan and drinking the tea. It is far from a science and other people may have opposing taste preferences. 

When a tea has the term “Mao Feng” in the name, it means there was no shaping step. It has nothing to do with the cultivar or the hairs on the leaf; it’s all about the making. Without a specific step to alter the shape of the leaves, like you see in other teas such as Hou Kui, Bi Luo Chun, or Long Jing, the shape of a Mao Feng is whatever came naturally during the making. Therefore, by knowing what to look for, you can learn crucial information about how the tea was made and begin to infer its flavor. There are three main shapes to look for.

Small Bud and Leaf

The first shape is what I call the crescent moon shape. The leaves and buds are smaller and all visible individually. While they are not 100% uniform, they generally point in the same direction. Some of the leaves will have a natural curve, like a crescent moon.

This shape is a strong indicator of semi-handmade and charcoal-dried tea. The semi-handmade machine is widely used for well-made Mao Feng. It basically works like a clothes dryer. There is a cylinder that spins. The spinning motion brings the tea to the top of the machine, lets it drop, and then returns it to the top. The point of this is to mimic the turning action you often see in wok making. This cylinder has a wood fire beneath it, which adds heat to the process, thereby killing the green. Oftentimes, teas made using this machine are then charcoal-dried.

Whether it is the falling and turning of the semi-handmade machine or the slow heat of the charcoal-baked process, Mao Fengs in this shape are often soft and floral. They represent what the local market considers to be well-made Mao Feng. These teas can also have a thick, savory, and weighty body that I look for in Mao Fengs. This is my standard for Mao Feng and is what I always try to have on the website.

 Wiry

Another common shape is the crazy wiry shape. This shape comes from the rolling step. The rolling step, while very common and possibly traditional, is not necessary for Mao Fengs. One farmer once told me he only rolls later picks to bring out more floral aromas.

These teas will have a strong vegetal flavor. While I lived in Huang Shan, I did not like this style, as I thought it was too vegetal. But this year, I came across a lot of them in my travels and now have a growing appreciation for them. While some can be a little too vegetal for my taste, the high-quality ones can have a balance between vegetal flavors and that same weighty, savory body. The florals of these teas can also be stronger.

Stiff and Straight

The third type of shape I see a lot is the very stiff and straight shape. The leaves are very straight, and the buds and leaves all point in the same direction.

While very common, this is a type of Mao Feng I personally don’t care for. The Mao Feng is made completely by machine. Fresh leaves are poured into one side of the machine, and they are guided down channels over an electric heat source. The shape is made by the walls of the channel, which shake back and forth in order to move the tea.

This type of tea is common in Huang Shan as a daily-drinking green. It can have soft pea notes and maybe a vegetal note, but it is often a bit bland. Often, green teas from Qimen use this machine.

Some Important Caveats

I must take this time to make clear that this is not an exact science. These are all just patterns I have noticed over my years of drinking tea, but it is not a perfect system. Sometimes baked teas don’t have the crescent moon shape, and sometimes I look at teas and have no idea how they were made. 

But I can sum up some key points that should help you understand what a tea you are looking at might taste like. 

Rolled Mao Fengs are generally more vegetal.

Rolled Mao Fengs have a stronger vegetal flavor that some may enjoy. They do run a higher risk of being bitter or overly vegetal. While recent conversations with makers have led me to believe Huang Shan Mao Feng was originally rolled, nowadays I find mostly lower-quality teas to be rolled.

Crescent Moon Shape is your best bet.

When I am buying Mao Feng on Taobao, which can be a bit of a gamble, to say the least, I always look for the crescent moon shape. It has significantly raised my chances of getting a really good tea. Crescent moon-shaped Mao Fengs tend to have the best body and are savory. They have what I call the pork fat flavor.

Super Straight Mao Fengs should be avoided or bought only at a low price.

These are completely machine-made and mass-produced. I have been handed countless machine-made teas during my time in Huang Shan and have never found one I would pay for.