Art of Tea
Chun Mee Tea Grades
Chun Mee Tea, also known as “Precious Eye Brows,” is a widely popular Chinese green tea. Its unique name comes from the arched shape of the dried tea leaves, which resemble a typical eyebrow.
Originating from Anhui Province in China during the Ming Dynasty in the 1600s, Chun Mee Tea has a rich history. Its popularity grew as hand-processing for the eyebrow shape was perfected, and it became a favorite drink throughout China. Today, it remains a beloved tea among many people in China.
Chun Mee Tea is primarily produced in three Chinese provinces: Anhui, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang. This full-bodied tea has a slight astringency that helps clear and clean the mouth. While sometimes smoky or toasty notes may be found, its hallmark is the provocative plum-like aftertaste. Chun Mee Tea is versatile and great for daily tea consumption.
The dried tea leaves of Chun Mee Tea have a sweet aroma reminiscent of plums. They have a consistent, small, and curved shape, like the eyebrows painted on a porcelain doll. When brewed, the liquor is yellowish-green and clear, with a lingering sweet fragrance.
The highest quality Chun Mee Tea is commonly named 41022, followed by 9371, 9370, 9369, 9368, 9367, 9366, and 9380. Any of the eyebrow teas picked “Yu-tsien” or before the Grain Rain are considered to be of higher quality. Generally, 9366 is of the lowest grade, and 9380 is leftover fanning that occurs during the production of other grades of Chun Mee.
In addition to its unique name, Chun Mee Tea also goes by the names Chun Mei, Zhen Mei, Mee Cha, and Precious Eyebrows. Some white teas are also called Mei or eyebrow teas because of their shape.
Sometimes, Chun Mee Tea is labeled as Hyson or Young Hyson. In fact, Hyson is a common name, like Bohea, used for many teas, including pearl tea, which was later named gunpowder. You can see Chun Mee as one kind of young hyson.
Benefits of Chunmee Tea
The most important component of Chunmee tea is tea polyphenols, which make up approximately 70% of the total polyphenol content of tea. The concentration of tea polyphenols in the tea soup determines the thickness and stimulation of the tea, as well as the level of bitterness and sweetness. Green tea has the highest content of tea polyphenols, followed by white, yellow, and black tea.
Large-leaf species generally have a higher concentration of tea polyphenols than small-leaf species. Moreover, tea plants grown at a higher altitude and in areas with a cooler climate tend to contain fewer tea polyphenols than those grown in warmer areas.
Chunmee tea contains alkaloids such as caffeine, theophylline, theobromine, and xanthine, which make it an excellent alkaline beverage. The tea’s alkaline metabolites can neutralize acid metabolites in the blood. Additionally, the tea contains amino acids such as theanine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and arginine, with theanine accounting for nearly 50% of all amino acids found in the tea.
Grades
Chunmee tea is commonly categorized into different varieties that include Special Chunmee, Chunmee, Young Hyson, Sow Mee, Hyson, and Fanning, with each type further subdivided into different grades. The grading system is based on the consistency, size, and shape of the finished leaves, with the highest grade being the 41022 variety.
| Grade | Marking |
| SP. Chun Mee. SP. Grade | 41022 |
| SP. Chun Mee 1 | 9371 |
| SP. Chun Mee 2 | 9370 |
| Chun Mee 1 | 9369 |
| Chun Mee 2 | 9368 |
| Chun Mee 3 | 9367 |
| Chun Mee 4 | 9366 |
| Chun Mee | 3008 |
| Young Hyson 1 | 8147 |
| Young Hyson 2 | 8167 |
| SP. Sow Mee | 8117 |
| Sow Mee 1 | 9400 |
| Sow Mee 2 | 9376 |
| Sow Mee 3 | 9380 |
| SP. Hyson SP. Grade | 9277 |
| SP. Hyson | 9377 |
| Hyson 1 | 9389 |
| Hyson 2 | 9417 |
| Hyson 3 | 9500 |
| Hyson | 3313 |
| Fanning | 34403 |