Chun Mee - Green Tea 100 g - Café du Jour loose tea

Chun Mee green tea is one of the most widely drunk teas in China, so much so that it is often called the tea of the Chinese people. The name translates roughly as 'Noble Eyebrow', after the slender, curved shape of the dried leaves.

In the cup

Chun Mee is zesty and lively, with more body than most green teas and a clean, fresh finish. A pleasant sharpness runs through it, which is what sets it apart from the softer, grassier styles; if you want a green tea with some backbone rather than a delicate one, this is the style to reach for. The only ingredient is green tea, with no flavouring and nothing blended in.

Brewing

As a loose-leaf tea you will want a teapot with a filter, an infuser basket or a simple strainer. Use about one teaspoon of leaf per cup and water at 75 to 85°C, since green tea turns bitter if you pour it straight off the boil. Two to three minutes is usually right, and longer if you want it stronger. The leaves will take a second infusion, which comes out a little softer than the first. At that dose a 100 g pack works out at roughly 40 to 50 cups.

At a glance

• Type: loose-leaf Chinese green tea
• Ingredients: green tea, nothing added
• Character: zesty, robust, clean finish
• Net weight: 100 g
• Brewing: 75-85°C, 1 teaspoon per cup, 2-3 minutes, re-steeps once
• Yield: around 40-50 cups per pack
• Packed: at our own tea packing house in the Maasland countryside, the Netherlands