Keemun

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Keemun
Keemun tea
Type: Black tea
Other names: Qimen Hongcha
Origin: Qimen , Anhui Province , China
Brief description: fruity with a hint of pine

Keemun ( Chinese  祁門 紅茶  /  祁门 红茶 , Pinyin qímén hóngchá , Cantonese  keimoon hungcha  - "Qimen red tea") is a black tea from China with a wine-like and fruity taste that is one of the ten most famous Chinese teas (中国 名茶) heard.

Keemun is produced in Qimen ( Huangshan ), Anhui Province . ("Keemun" was the English translation for "Qimen" during colonial times.)

history

Anhui Tea Province

Keemun was first made in 1875 by the failed official Yu Quianchen after he traveled to Fujian Province to learn the secrets of making black tea. Before that, only green tea was grown in Anhui. The result exceeded his expectations and Keemun tea quickly gained popularity in England and became the main ingredient in the English breakfast mix.

Taste and preparation

The aroma of Keemun is fruity with a touch of pine , dried plums and floral / abundance of flowers (but in no way as flowery as Darjeeling tea ), which creates the very distinctive and balanced taste. It also has a hint of orchid scent and the so-called "Chinese tea sweetness". The tea can have a slightly bitter note and the smokiness can be more pronounced depending on the variety and processing conditions.

Keemun is usually drunk without milk and sugar; outside of China sometimes with milk.

sorts

  • Keemun Gongfu or Congou (祁門 功夫) - made with careful skill ("gongfu") to create thin, firm strips without breaking the leaves.
  • Keemun Mao Feng (祁門 毛峰) - a variety that is made from only slightly twisted leaf sprouts and is sometimes characterized by a gentler and special flavor. Mao Feng means as much as hairy (Mao) and pointed (Feng) and indicates the appearance of the leaves. Many people prefer to make a smaller amount of this variety and let it steep longer than usual, up to 7 minutes, to bring out more interesting nuances of the tea.
  • Keemun Xin Ya (祁門 新芽) - The early bud variety that is said to be less bitter.
  • Keemun Hao Ya (祁門 毫 芽) - A variety known for its fine buds, sometimes having significant numbers of silver tips, and generally of the highest grade. Hao Ya is sometimes graded A and B, with A being the better grade.
  • Hubei Keemun (湖北 祁門) - False Keemun , a variety that comes from Hubei west of Anhui , is said to have qualities similar to Keemun from Anhui.

literature

  • Rwen Tao Liu: Costs and Methods of Marketing Keemun Black Tea in China . Dissertation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 1937.

Web links

  • Entry: Keemun at das-teebuch.de