Xiangxi Huangjin Tea's high amino acid content is standard-documented; its name possibly coming from a golden liquor color is not — the source material raises that explanation without confirming it.
Xiangxi Huangjin Tea (湘西黄金茶, “Xiangxi Golden Tea”) is a strip-shaped pan-fired green tea from the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan, protected under a group standard, T/HNTI 018-2020.
Its standout documented feature is amino acid content: the standard requires a free amino acid minimum of 4.0-4.5%, well above typical green tea minimums. Amino acids are associated with the savory, umami-leaning sweetness in tea (not the same as sugar-driven sweetness), so this is a real, standard-backed distinguishing trait, not marketing language.
The tea’s name is a different matter. One plausible explanation would be that “Golden Tea” refers to a golden, bright liquor color — but the source material raises this only as a possible origin, explicitly without confirming it. This page keeps that distinction precise: the amino acid content is documented fact; the reason for the name is not.
Top grade (特级) is described as tight, fine, uniform strips, kingfisher-green with visible down, giving a rich, lasting tender aroma and a clean, fresh, sweet, brisk taste — descriptors that step down at lower grades to a chestnut-leaning aroma and a fuller, less delicate taste by 二级.
Worth being precise about the standard itself: T/HNTI 018-2020 is a group/association standard (the “T/” prefix) — a real, dedicated standard, but the lowest of the three tiers this site documents (national GB/T, provincial DB, group/association T/).
See the Green Tea guide for where Xiangxi Huangjin Tea sits among China’s other green teas.
Look · Dry leaf
Top grade (特级) is described in the standard as tight, fine, uniform strips, kingfisher-green with visible down.
Smell & taste
Typical aroma: tender, rich, lasting. Flavor tendencies: clean, fresh, sweet, brisk. Body: light-medium. These vary by batch, storage and brewing.
Brew · A starting point
Try 3 g in 150 ml water at 80–85°C for 60–90 seconds. Fully decant before tasting.
Read the wet leaves
Not documented specifically for this tea in the source material reviewed.
Sources & review
Compiled by ChinaTea101's editors from Chinese national and industry tea standards and reference material, then fact-checked. Last reviewed 2026-09-25. How we check claims
- Industry standard T/HNTI 018-2020 湘西黄金茶 绿茶 (Xiangxi Huangjin tea — green tea) — Hunan Tea Society (group standard). Group (association) standard for Xiangxi Huangjin green tea.