Chunmee Special Grade 1

Full-bodied, delicate flavour with toasted notes and a sweet plum-like character. Mellow smokiness tending to sweet tobacco. The infusion is bright and yellow leafy, green. A very impressive tea. The word "mee or mei" means eyebrow: Chunmee translated is "Precious Eyebrow", relating to the shape of the tea leaves. The leaves are hand-rolled in a traditional fashion and pan-fired requiring great skill since the final tea is considered a work of art. Patience, great hand coordination, temperature control and timing achieve a fine jade-coloured leaf and mellow yellowish brew. Traditionally harvesting the leaves should begin well before daybreak and stop shortly after. Picking must be done with the fingernails not with the fingers lest the freshness and taste be contaminated. Leaves of whitish colour shaped like sparrows' tongues or grains of corn are best. One leaf per shoot is ideal; two leaves per shoot next best if there are more the product will be inferior.

Please note: In order to become more environmentally-friendly we no longer add large coloured labels to our tea packets. Simply peel off the small name label from the back of your packet to make it totally biodegradable! Gift tubes are as shown.