In china,tea drinkers always like to judge whether the tea they are drinking is authentic or not. What is authentic? Why some chinese gourmet tea is much better than others?To many western tea drinkers,the idea of authenticity is foreign. Quality is quality. Does it really matter where it is produced?
Yes,it does. After all,tea is the by-product of the soil,water,air and light that sustain and nourish it.


In Keemun county,tea garden is scattered over the mountainous area which is covered by forest. In this area,there is sufficient rainfall and the atmospheric temperature is lower with higher humidity. One of the essential factors for good black tea is mellow taste. This taste originats from amino acid found in tea leaf,named as theanine. Young buds contain high level of theanine and when tea leaves receive sun light,theanine converts into polyphenol such as catechins. At high elevation,tea-planting area is often covered by fog which blocks the direct sun light on tea leaves. Consequently, tea leaves are very rich in theanine as the conversion to polyphenol is not effectively taking place. This is the first reason for Keemun tea being long-lasting fragrant and non-astringent but mellow.

The second reason for that is because of the cultivar of keemun tea plant named 槠叶种 (Zhu-ye-zhong). This is the only tea leaf in which an essential oil called myrcenal is found -- it also occurs in oil of Bay. At the same time it contains a high level of another substance called geraniol,one of the main aromatic elements existing in tea leaves.The content of geraniol in the keemun tea leaves is 40 to 100 times higher than that of ordinary tea subvarieties. The two elements ,to a large extent,give keemun tea indescribable sweetness and aroma like a dried black rose,I think -- less poetic friends are reminded of toast hot from the oven.

The last reason of the keemun fragrance should be ascribed to the people who have been being dedicated to keemun tea production.This is a line involving much know-hows,skills,experience and sensory judgements which is gained by talent and through diligence and persistence.

All Keemun tea is distinctive and much of it produced in Keemun County is superior. Then you discover Keemun Mao Feng and Keemun Hao Ya, which are simply superb-perfectly formed leaf with taste as delicate as bird song. Keemun Mao Feng and Keemun Hao Ya features fine taut strips without breaking leaves so Keemun tea is also known as one of the congou-type teas; meaning its production requires a great deal of gongfu (disciplined skill).Their unique keemun flavors are so nuanced and layered that one feels adding milk or sugar would be sacrilegious,faint praise impossible. Both of them are handmade in orthodox processing ways resulting in low output. (of couse another reason is that Keemun tea is produced in a relatively small area confined in Keemun County and its neighboring area).

Compared to Darjeeling teas or Ceylon teas,the quantity of Keemun Tea produced each year is very low,not enough to meet the huge demand.

The consequence…

Many factories take advantage of Keemun tea's celebrity status to profiteer. Their teas differ much in flavor and taste from Keemun tea,even not reaching the basic standards of Keemun Tea. I think it is why somebody told me "I can't see why Keemun is a famous tea?". The words really hurt me but also spur me to work against falsification and protect the fame of Keemun Tea. Now china has lagged behind India in protecting work. We should make efforts to make a change.

ViconyTeas-the veteran keemun tea producer

well, i think what you have said is quite true. Keemun tea is an exquisite black tea from the southern Anhui province in China. It wins the praise of "one of the best three high aroma teas in the world " and "the queen Of fragrance" in China. It is also named "keemun flavor" for its strong aroma resembling both aroma of fruit and that of rose.
our company takes effort to sell true-flavor keemun tea . we promise that the products of ours is supreme.we take a friendly global platform to promote Chinese tea culture and show real Chinese tea and sold .
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The History Of Keemun Tea


Keemun tea was made in year 1875 at Keemun County (祁门县 Qi-men Xian),Anhui Province (安徽省 An-hui Sheng). In fact,Qimen county produced only green tea until the mid 1870's. At that time a young man in the civil service lost his job. Being totally heartbroken and completely embarrassed by his shame,he remembered what his father told him - ‘A skill is a better guarantor of a living than precarious officialdom’. Following this advice,the young man packed up his courage and his bags to travel to Fujian province to learn the secrets of black tea manufacturing. Upon his return to Qimen in 1875 he set up three factories to produce black tea. The black tea method was perfectly suited to the tea leaves produced in this warm moist climate with well drained sandy soil. Before long,the superb flavor of Keemun tea became very popular around the world. It is reported that Queen of England counts upon Imperial Keemun Mao Feng as one of her teas of choice.

Despite its relatively short history,(for a Chinese tea!) Keemun tea became world renowned by 1915 in taste tests conducted by the leading tea companies of the day. It was preferred over Darjeeling! 1915 also marked another milestone in Keemun’s history - it won the Gold Prize at the International Exposition in Panama. Even though more and more tea connoisseurs take to Assams and Ceylon black teas in recent years,Premium quality Keemun tea still remains "king of the black teas".

Keemun Tea has been awarded for many times in international and domestic tea contests. The main awards are:
1913: Keemun Tea was awarded the Gold Prize at the Expo held at Italy.
1915: Keemun Tea won the Gold Prize in the Expo (万国博览会) held at Panama.
1987: In the 26th World Premium Food Product Contest held at Belgium,Keemun tea won the Gold Prize.

viconyteas wrote

The History Of Keemun Tea


Keemun tea was made in year 1875 at Keemun County (祁门县 Qi-men Xian),Anhui Province (安徽省 An-hui Sheng). In fact,Qimen county produced only green tea until the mid 1870's. At that time a young man in the civil service lost his job. Being totally heartbroken and completely embarrassed by his shame,he remembered what his father told him - ‘A skill is a better guarantor of a living than precarious officialdom’. Following this advice,the young man packed up his courage and his bags to travel to Fujian province to learn the secrets of black tea manufacturing. Upon his return to Qimen in 1875 he set up three factories to produce black tea. The black tea method was perfectly suited to the tea leaves produced in this warm moist climate with well drained sandy soil. Before long,the superb flavor of Keemun tea became very popular around the world. It is reported that Queen of England counts upon Imperial Keemun Mao Feng as one of her teas of choice.

Despite its relatively short history,(for a Chinese tea!) Keemun tea became world renowned by 1915 in taste tests conducted by the leading tea companies of the day. It was preferred over Darjeeling! 1915 also marked another milestone in Keemun’s history - it won the Gold Prize at the International Exposition in Panama. Even though more and more tea connoisseurs take to Assams and Ceylon black teas in recent years,Premium quality Keemun tea still remains "king of the black teas".

Keemun Tea has been awarded for many times in international and domestic tea contests. The main awards are:
1913: Keemun Tea was awarded the Gold Prize at the Expo held at Italy.
1915: Keemun Tea won the Gold Prize in the Expo (万国博览会) held at Panama.
1987: In the 26th World Premium Food Product Contest held at Belgium,Keemun tea won the Gold Prize.

Keemun locates in Anhui Province, China. It is namable for its tea.In the middle of the last century, a mistake occurred in China in the manufacture of a specific tea. That tea was KEEMUN.
Until that mistake, this tea had always been processed as a green tea.
An Imperial Army was passing through a specific part of the province of Anhui. It was the area in which Keemun was picked and processed. A high ranking officer needed quarters for his officers to over-night in and the only available space large enough was a tea factory.
The factory was in the process of manufacturing Keemun (Quemon-Mandarin Dialect). The Imperial General Officer threw the tea factory workers out, even though they were in the middle of processing a batch of tea, and took over the factory.
The officers stayed only one night and left the next morning. After they had left, the factory workers hurried back to inspect the tea. Alas, it had been naturally processed into a black tea because it had not been fired to prevent the process.
The tea was cupped by the Tea Factory Master and proclaimed to excellent.
Keemun, from that point on was now processed as a black tea, although some rare and expensive Keemun green tea is still manufactured.

Famous Keemun Tea
Keemun Black Tea
Keemun Black Tea is an exquisite black tea from the southern Anhui province in China. It wins the praise of “one of the best three high aroma teas in the world ” and “the queen Of fragrance” in China. It is also named “keemun flavor” for its strong aroma resembling both aroma of fruit and that of rose.


Keemun Chinese Gongfu Tea
The appearance of Keemun black tea is slender and reddish brown tea liquor is tasted heavy and brisk. The lasting strong aroma resembling both aroma of fruit and that of rose is the distinctive flavor for Keemun black tea, that is hence named “keemun flavor”

Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea
It is a mellow tea that will stand alone as well as support sugar and/or milk. Because of its “wine-like” quality, lemon should not be offered as the combined tastes are too tart. The appearance of Keemun black tea is slender and elegant. The reddish brown tea liquor is tasted heavy and brisk. The lasting strong aroma resembling both aroma of fruit and that of rose is the distinctive flavor for Keemun black tea, that is hence named “keemun flavor”.

Premium Keemun Black Tea
Known as the “Burgundy” of black teas, this Keemun Mao Feng (Qi Hong Mao Feng) is handmade by a special processing technique that produces tightly twisted and curly leaves. The result is a tea with a delicate and balanced flavor with notes of roasted sugarcane, chocolate and red wine. Makes a very elegant afternoon or evening tea.
more on 5kchina:5ktea.com

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i think keemun tea is the authentic black tea.
Keemun - Of all the black teas that China produces, Keemun is perhaps the most well-known. Although it is a world-renowned tea, it has a relatively short history. In 1875 a young entrepreneur began producing black tea in the county of Qimenin southwestern Anhui province, where before only average quality green tea had been produced. Since then Keemun has gained a reputation for an indescribable flavor, with hints of smoky pine, orchid, crushed apple and a rich sweet taste.

Hi Jasminegrace:

According to what I know, the story you told here about the born of keemun is a mistake. I refered to some documents and reference, In fact, the story you told us is more seen by many tea people as a version of how lapsang souchong is born. Most tea experts thought that lapsang souchong,the oldest and first black tea in the world,is born by accident instead of keemun.

Keemun is developed by Hu Yuanlong after he learned the skills of lapsang souchong production in Fujian.

Anyway,I'd like to talk more with you about this.

Thanks