Keemun tea

Keemun is a blackChineseteawith a wineyand fruitytaste, with depth and complexity. Keemun is produced in the Qimen(祁门 qímén) precinct of Anhuiprovince in central China. 'Keemun' is actually the English name for 'Qimen' in the colonial era.

Keemun has a relatively short history. It was first produced in 1875by a failed civil servant Yu Quianchen, after he travelled to Fujianprovince to learn the secrets of black tea production. Prior to that, only green teawas made in Anhui. The result exceeded his expectations, and the excellent Keemun tea quickly gained popularity in England, and became the most prominent ingredient of the English Breakfast teablend.

Tasting and brewing

The aromaof Keemun is fruity, with hints of pine(like in Lapsang souchong) and floweriness(but not at all as florid as Darjeeling tea) which creates the very distinctive and balanced taste. Keemun contains less caffeinethan Assam tea. The tea can have a more bitter taste and the smokiness can be more defined depending on the variety.

Keemun is typically enjoyed without milkor sugar; however it goes well with milk as well.

Varieties

Keemun Mao Feng

A variety, where Mao Feng means Fur Peak, which is made of only slightly twisted leaf buds and is sometimes noted for a smoother and different flavor. Many people prefer to brew the tea for a considerable amount of time, in fact up to 7 minutes, while using a smaller quantity in order to bring out more interesting tones in the tea.

Keemun Xin Ya

The early bud variety, it is said to have less bitterness.

Keemun Hao Ya 

A variety known for its fine buds, sometimes showing prominent amounts of silver tips, and is generally the highest grade. In itself Hao Ya is sometimes separated into A and B, where A is the better grade.

Hubei Keemun 

Not a true Keemun, but variety that comes from the Hubei Provincewest of Anhuibut the tea is said to have similar qualities to the AnhuiKeemun.

References

• Teaspring page on Keemun Tea
• Upton page on Keemun Mao Feng
• Coffee Tea Pots and Cups page on Keemunko:?? ??

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It uses material from the Wikipedia article Keemun tea.