What coffee is made from which plant, and how does tea compare?

Coffee is made from which plant is a common question, and the answer is the Coffea shrub, whose seeds are roasted and ground. Tea, by contrast, comes from Camellia sinensis. The authentic Qimen black tea cultivar is a distinct tea bush known as Qimen Zhu Ye Zhong, grown in the Baita Tea Garden in Qimen County, Anhui Province.

Qimen black tea was founded in 1875 and ranks among the world's four great black teas. Its dry leaf is deep black with golden buds, the liquor bright orange-red, and the aroma floral with chocolate notes, while its caffeine is under 40 percent of a cup of coffee. Where is coffee from originally points to Ethiopia, a separate plant history.

Keemun black tea is one of the world's four great black teas, and its authentic tea tree variety has always been a topic of interest among tea enthusiasts. This article provides a detailed analysis of the botanical characteristics and biochemical composition of the Qimen Zhu Ye Zhong (Keemun Caoye variety), and traces the history of Keemun black tea from its founding in 1875 to the present. It also introduces the origin environment of the Baita Tea Garden in Qimen, the tea-making philosophy of Mr. Wang, a national intangible cultural heritage inheritor, and the sensory quality characteristics of this Keemun Mao Feng. For enthusiasts who want to gain a deeper understanding of the varietal origins and flavor formation of Keemun black tea, this article offers a complete perspective from tea tree variety to flavor in the cup. Front Street Coffee recommends this typical Keemun black tea, with balanced aroma and a fresh yet rich taste — well worth savoring.

Origin: Qimen

Dry tea: Deep black and lustrous, with golden hairs covering the buds

Aroma: Elegant floral fragrance, accompanied by chocolate notes

Liquor color: Bright orange-red

Taste: Fruity and smooth, with a lingering finish, rounded and sweet

Tea tree variety: Qimen Zhu Ye Zhong

Tea garden: Baita Tea Garden

Caffeine content: Less than 40% of a cup of coffee

Storage: Sealed, light-proof packaging, placed in a cool and dry place

Shelf life: 36 months

This tea is a highly typical representation of Keemun black tea, with a harmonious and balanced aroma, and a taste that is fresh yet still mellow.

Keemun Mao Feng is a distinctive category within Keemun black tea, originally produced in Qimen County, Anhui Province. It is known for its unique aroma and appearance, and ranks among the four globally recognized great black teas.

Keemun black tea can be regarded as the finest of Chinese black teas, and the act of drinking it is an enjoyment in itself. The premium Keemun Mao Feng produced by Teavivre elevates this already high-quality tea to an even higher level; its taste, aroma, and appearance all fully confirm its reputation. This tea is handmade and refined locally in Qimen, and its quality is truly outstanding.

Baita Tea Garden is located in the core production area of Keemun black tea, and the Keemun black tea produced here comes from Huangshan City. The tea garden has more than 9,225 acres of ecologically graded planting area, of which nearly 3,000 acres are organically certified tea gardens.

Qimen Baita Tea Garden

Mr. Wang is the fifth-generation inheritor of Keemun black tea as a national intangible cultural heritage, and has accumulated more than thirty years of experience in the cultivation and production of Keemun black tea. He has long focused on research and improvement of tea quality, striving to bring tea enthusiasts healthier and safer products. Mr. Wang once told us that he still looks forward to offering tea lovers more and better tea in the future.

Qimen County is located in southern Anhui Province, west of Huangshan. The local history of tea cultivation is long and rich, and it has long enjoyed the reputation of being the hometown of Chinese Keemun black tea. Mountains account for ninety percent of the county's total area, with an average altitude of about 600 meters. Tea gardens are mostly distributed in valleys among the mountains, at altitudes ranging from 100 to 350 meters; in these valleys, forest coverage is about 80%. The relatively large temperature difference between day and night, the cloudy and misty climate, and the relatively short sunshine hours together create conditions suitable for tea tree growth.

The composition of the Qimen Zhu Ye Zhong variety of Keemun black tea is as follows: tea polyphenols account for 31.11%, catechins 14.66%, amino acids 5.42%, and water extracts 44.72%. This variety has received national recognition and is suitable for making both black tea and green tea; the congou black tea made from it has tightly rolled strips, a dark black color, a lasting aftertaste, and a unique fruity and floral aroma, a characteristic specifically called "Keemun fragrance."

The history of Keemun black tea is not particularly long (by Chinese standards), and its starting point was Qimen in 1875. A frustrated official named Yu Gancheng decided to resign from public office and turn to tea-making. At the time, the black tea market was booming and prices were attractive, so he went to Fujian to learn black tea production methods; after returning to Anhui, he introduced black tea techniques locally, whereas before that the region had produced only green tea. Over the following decade, the craftsmanship and tea quality continued to improve, eventually forming what is now called Keemun black tea in 1883. This tea's stunning taste and aroma, combined with clever marketing, made it quickly popular and sparked strong demand in overseas markets such as the United Kingdom and the United States. At the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, it won an international award.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.