Keemun Mao Feng is one of China’s most famous and popular black teas, as well as being a favorite in the West for well over a century, revered for its chocolaty flavors of unsweetened cocoa, but without the bitterness. |
These chocolaty flavors are formed by what chemists call “the Maillard reaction,” nam- ed after the French chemist, Louis-Camille Maillard, who studied it in the early 1900’s.It’s a reaction caused when tea leaves are seared over very hot woks or in ovens, creating com- pounds called pyrroles, pyrazines, and other compounds that draw out flavors of baked peaches, roasted nuts, or other baked and roasted flavors. In Chinese Keemun teas, the Maillard reaction draws out the formation of dimethylpyra- zines which create the chocolate and cocoa flavors that these teas are famous for. |
The family of Keemuns consists of Keemun Mao Feng (also called Keemun Hairpoint Mao Feng), Keemun Hao Ya A and B, and Keemun Congou. The name Keemun comes from an old Western spelling of Qimen (pronounced “Chee-men”), the town near where the tea is grown, in a region between the Yellow Moun- tains and the Yangtze River.The harvesting season for Keemun Mao Feng is very short, just eight to ten days in late April and early May. The early spring leaves contain softer, milder polyphenols and healthy amino acids. The pluck for Mao Feng is the standard two leaves and a bud. The buds help lighten and add sweetness to the tea. As is characteristic of Chinese black teas, Because of the short harvesting season, Keemun Hao Ya teas also come from the small town of China’s Anhui Province. Keemun Hao Ya They are separated based on the quality of the tips with the Keemun (also called Keemun Congou) or qihong tea is grown Even though Keemun teas are made from eight different Keemun Congou is said to be made from a certain sub- Myrcenal adds an underlying subtle sweetness of ripe fruit to Keemun Congou. The in- |
Keemun is grown in hilly country at about 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea level, and is not considered to be a high-grown tea. It is the only Keemun with
four harvests, with a first flush in late April or early May, continuing with a second and third
flush throughout summer, and a final autumn flush.
China’s black teas are some of the best in the world and Keemuns, with their chocolaty
taste and sweet, mellow flavors are especially good, and very popular in the West. Even
though Keemun Mao Feng is very limited, it’s well worth the hunt to try and find, but with
Keemun teas you can’t go wrong-no matter which one you try, they’re all delicious. Enjoy.