Discover Chun Mee green tea, an excellent tea with small twisted leaves and a floral, deliciously refined taste. Immerse yourself in the world of Chun Mee green tea, a slightly tart tea with a hint of bitterness, grown in China. Succumb to the charm of this delicate beverage with floral notes and a sweet aroma, which transports you to the landscapes of Jiangxi province, its historical birthplace.

Its subtle and delicate flavor makes it one of the most appreciated green teas worldwide. Le Comptoir de Toamasina specializes in exceptional teas and offers an exceptional selection of Chun Mee green tea. When buying Chun Mee green tea, you should generally buy the amount you can drink in 6 months—because the "precious eyebrow", as we like to call it, is very fragile.

Arnaud carefully selects the Chun Mee tea leaves and ensures their rich aromatic profile. We use this tea to make the famous mint green tea, as it is an excellent tea for flavored preparations. Its small leaves will make your cup bloom—you will discover a tea very different from Sencha green tea. You can enjoy it hot or cold, integrate it into pastry recipes, ice creams, or even cocktails: its subtle flavor pairs perfectly with other ingredients and brings a touch of originality to your culinary creations.

Chun Mee, whose name is written in Chinese as Zhen Mei (珍眉, "Precious Eyebrow") or Chun Mei (春眉, "Spring Eyebrow"), is a green tea produced from unfermented Camellia sinensis leaves. Its name refers to the twisted and curved shape of the dry leaves, which resembles the fine curve of eyebrows painted on Chinese porcelain or portraits of court ladies. These leaves are hand-rolled, creating small leaves with a characteristic light green color. Naturally rich in caffeine, it is recommended to consume it in moderation for those who are sensitive—knowing that its twisted structure physically slows down the release of caffeine compared to broken or flat teas.

Its direct ancestor is Anhui baked green tea, developed in the early 1600s under the Ming Dynasty. Over the generations, hand-rolling and iron pan-firing techniques have been perfected. Historically, Jiangxi province was the exclusive birthplace of Chun Mee, but its production has expanded to Zhejiang (notably Taishun county), Anhui, Sichuan—which produces a Chun Mee with a mild and slightly nutty profile—as well as Taiwan. Today it is also grown in Vietnam, Indonesia, and India. If you want a milder tea, we recommend white tea.

Here, Arnaud tells you about green tea manufacturing as he observed it during a trip to Yunnan and Zhejiang. It is good to know that green tea will have less theine than black tea. Making Chun Mee requires very strict thermomechanical control to stop enzymatic oxidation while shaping the leaf:

The international Chun Mee market uses a numerical coding system to classify batches according to the regularity of sorting and leaf integrity. This is a valuable reading grid for any buyer: it explains why two "Chun Mees" can offer radically different experiences.

The world of green tea offers an infinite variety of flavors, each resulting from the production process. In general, green tea is known for its light, fresh, and slightly bitter taste. To identify and appreciate the different varieties, you must pay attention to appearance, color, fragrance, and taste.

Chun Mee is an experience that leaps to the taste buds. Its wok-firing process gives it a lively, slightly tart, and slightly toasted flavor. Its perfect balance between the initial flavor and the aftertaste is one of its distinctive features. It presents a golden-green liquor with a subtle fragrance that delights the senses, and a fruity touch of plum unique among green teas.

For those who have already tasted Gunpowder: Chun Mee shares a similar strength and color, but stands out with more delicacy and fruitiness, whereas Gunpowder, rolled into tight pellets, is more powerful, metallic, and smoky. It can be consumed as is, but also pairs well with sugar, honey, or even milk. Did you know? Chun Mee is pronounced "chun mei".

In Maghreb and West African countries, the presence of a thick and stable foam on the surface of the glass is the main quality indicator of a Chun Mee. This foaming capacity is exclusively linked to the concentration of natural saponins and flavonols in the leaf. Premium grades contain significantly more of them. In other words: the beautiful foam of a glass of mint tea never lies about the quality of the leaf.

The magic of mint: when Chun Mee meets mint, it is an explosion of flavors and freshness. The mint delicately refreshes its herbaceous notes, and the sweetness of the Chun Mee balances the power of the mint. Chun Mee is also the ideal backdrop for scented blends: a Chun Mee delicately flavored with rose, lavender, or vanilla is an experience that every enthusiast should explore.

The dry leaves of Chun Mee are fine, open, and light: they offer a very high surface/volume ratio and are therefore extremely sensitive to water temperature. Warning: to keep the hint of bitterness without being overwhelmed by it, you must infuse for an exact time. The water must be simmering, never boiling—otherwise you will burn the leaf and destroy the tea.

Cooking, cocktails, punches, and even infused rum hold a wealth of creative opportunities. And what better way to breathe a touch of originality into your preparations than with an exceptional green tea?

For tea lovers, buying by the kilo is the best way to always have this precious beverage on hand—and it is the ideal format for preparing mint tea with the family or for a restaurant. Our Chun Mee tea is carefully selected, meeting strict quality standards.

At Le Comptoir de Toamasina, buy your Chun Mee green tea at an excellent price for the 1kg packaging—and also discover our 80g, 160g, and 480g pouches. Feel free to discover the Wuyuan region and Jiangxi province, the historical lands of this tea, on our blog.