Chun Mei – sometimes called Zhen Mei – is the most popular type of “eyebrow tea” in China, so named because when dry it's narrow, curved shape looks like a fine, painted on eyebrow. The traditional local drink of Anhui, it is also now widely grown in Zhejiang, Jiangxi provinces.
The production of this tea, especially high quality Chun Mei like TeaVivre's, is particularly laborious and time consuming, as each leaf must be carefully hand rolled at exactly the right temperature to ensure the uniformity in the size and shape of each leaf, that is needed to ensure the resulting tea delivers the exact combination of sweetness and astringency this tea is renowned for.
Brief Health Info
Chun Mee, like all green teas, has high levels of antioxidants that reportedly reduce the incidence of cancer, promote good skin tone and help reduce the affects of aging. Also high in vitamin C, fluoride and calcium, they also promote healthy teeth and bones.
For more information on the health benefits of Green teas, take a look at our article on Tea Health benefit.
How to make Chun Mee
Chun Mei should brewed in water around 194 ºF (90 ºC) for less than 30 seconds. A longer time will give the tea a bitter taste. It can be infused 7 or 8 times.
For more information on some of the skills and arts of brewing tea, check out our article on How To Make Zhen Mei Green Tea.
Where is our Chun Mei green tea produced
The source of tea is from the traditional birthplace of this tea, high in mountains of Anhui province. This amazingly beautiful area is a mix of high rugged mountains and dense forests, with the cool temperatures and perpetually misty conditions ideal for growing the delicate buds and leaves.
History
Chun Mei traces its roots back to a traditional green tea produced in Anhui during Ming Dynasty in the 1600's, called Anhui green tea. As the hand rolling and processing techniques of this tea evolved and improved, the highest quality versions of this tea were given a new name – Chun Mei – to distinguish them from the earlier, inferior, forms. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Chun Mei became hugely popular in China, and to this day is the most commonly drunk green tea in the country.
Gaiwan 3oz
Tea: 5g
7 steeps:rinse,15s,25s,35s,50s,1m20s,1m50s,2m20s
90ºC/194ºF
Teapot 8oz
Rating :
Another free sample generously provided to me by TeaVivre!
Dry leaf: Small and dark green leaves that smelled of spinach. They were whole, but the leaves were so small that they resembled a BOP grade, almost. I understand the reasoning behind the short steep time when looking at the leaves.
Steeped leaf: Once steeped, the liquor is a light brown – the fact it is so dark is surprising given I’ve steeped some greens for 2 minutes and only gotten a pale green. The smell is quite brothy and savory, and as it cools, almost…floral, strangely enough.
The taste is…strong. And very different. It’s drying like a white wine on the tongue, but not thin or watery. It seems kind of bitter, but that plum aftertaste was there – it seemed a bit metallic, though. It is definitely memorable and different than any other green tea I’ve tried. As it cools most of the dryness and the sharpness in the aftertaste fades away. It leaves more of a sour nuttiness in its stead.
Overall: I’m glad I got to try it but I don’t know that it’s a tea I want to keep on hand. It could be the fact that it shares so many qualities with wine or sake – I don’t drink alcohol because I can’t stand the taste and so this is has unpleasant associations to me. Maybe later steeps will be more to my liking?
This review was originally published on Steepster by JoonSusanna on March, 2012. TeaVivre add this whole review here by getting permission from JoonSusanna.
Rating :
I'm reviewing this again because I feel like my last review was incomplete. My last review was based off of a western-style brewing. I've tried the gaiwan method recommended by TeaVivre (3oz water, 5g leaf, 7 steeps). I enjoyed this tea much more using this method. It produced a fuller and more interesting brew than the three-steep western method. According to some simple math, this method is slightly more economical as well!
Rating :
This is an average Chun Mei. I brewed it according to the instructions(2 tsp, 8 oz, three steepings: 30s, 1m,1m 30s)The 2nd steeping was the best. This is an average Chun Mei. I have had better; this one lacks the sweetness that I have tasted in other Chun Mei's. But I have had worse Chun Mei's as well. For price, this is a great, affordable tea to drink everyday.
Rating :
The dry leaf of this tea is similar in appearance and smell to other Chun Mee teas I have had before: small, chopped and tightly curled leaves, with a grassy and somewhat smoky aroma. The tea liquor was cloudy, with a light honey color and a mild vegetal aroma. The wet leaf looks and smells fresh. The taste of the liquor was typical for a standard green tea: vegetal overlaid with some smokiness. Although it did hold up with flavor through three steepings, I didn't really care for it, as it was too astringent and a little too smoky for me. Nothing else really notable about it other than that it is clearly fresh. Still, at less than $2/ounce it's hard to beat that price for fresh green tea.
Rating :
Dry Leaf: Has a vegetal aroma slight sweetness to it with a slight smokey aroma.
Wet Leaf:Has a vegetal aroma think maybe boiled spinach.
Liquor: Has a yellowish green broth.
Taste: I get a vegetal flavor with a plum after taste but can even see someone saying smokey. A very slight bitter touch that does leave a slight dryness in the mouth. The broth feels rich or thick in the mouth not watery. I think this tea would sit well with people that are fans of Gunpowder Green Tea.
Rating :
Flavor profile comparable to that of a gunpowder green tea - with a pleasant touch of bitterness to round out the experience. World apart from crushed tea dust/fannings which pass for green tea in the States. Recommended for fans of gunpowder green looking to experience something new, or for anyone looking for a quality green at an affordable price!
Rating :
This tea is delicious. I am not only happy with the taste, I am very pleased with the excellent, efficient service I received from the TeaVivre company. My order was here in less than two weeks and all in great condition. I will definitely order again from this company.