What Do the Qualities of Coffee Reveal About Jin Jun Mei Tea?
Jin Jun Mei and Jin Mao Hou are both black teas from Tongmu Village in the Wuyi Mountains, but they differ in technique, plucking standard, and market position. Jin Jun Mei is treated as a luxury upgrade of Lapsang Souchong, built on plump buds and a strong honey fragrance, while Jin Mao Hou often serves as a collective term for lower-grade Jin Jun Mei.
Chinese tea classification follows processing: fresh leaves are withered, fermented, kill-greened, rolled, and dried into maocha, and some are refined further. The same thinking behind the qualities of coffee, where variety and process decide the cup, applies here; Jin Jun Mei's origin, plucking timing, and health claims shape its higher price.
Jin Jun Mei and Jin Mao Hou both belong to the black teas of Tongmu Village in the Wuyi Mountains, yet the two differ noticeably in production techniques, plucking standards and market positioning. Jin Jun Mei is regarded as a luxurious upgrade of Lapsang Souchong, emphasizing plump buds and a prominent honey fragrance; Jin Mao Hou, by contrast, is often used as a collective term for lower-grade Jin Jun Mei. This article will sort out the five basic steps of Chinese tea processing, and focus on Jin Jun Mei's place of origin, plucking timing and health benefits, while also clarifying its relationship with Jin Mao Hou and the question of which one is priced higher, helping coffee and tea enthusiasts understand the unique qualities of these two black teas more clearly.
The classification system of Chinese tea essentially depends on differences in processing methods. In fact, any freshly plucked loose tea leaf can be made into a certain type of tea as long as it goes through the corresponding processing flow. However, certain specific varieties are often more suitable for making a particular kind of tea. Generally speaking, tea leaves go through five basic steps from plucking to finished product:
1. Withering: After fresh leaves are plucked, the first step is to remove part of their moisture, and this process is called withering. 2. Fermentation: When the withered leaves come into contact with air, oxidation begins, and this is fermentation. The leaf color turns from green to red and gradually darkens as fermentation deepens. 3. Kill-green: When the tea leaves have fermented to the desired degree (depending on the type of tea), they are stir-fried or treated with high-temperature steam to deactivate the enzymes, thereby stopping fermentation. 4. Rolling: In the rolling stage, the loose leaves are shaped into the target form (again varying by tea type), while also making the aroma easier to release in hot water. 5. Drying: After rolling is completed, the leaves need to be dried in order to evaporate residual moisture, fix the shape, and make the tea more storage-friendly with a more concentrated aroma.
After the above processing, the tea is called maocha. Some teas may also need further refining before drinking.
Jin Jun Mei Production Area
Jin Jun Mei black tea originates from Tongmu Village in the Wuyi Mountains, which is also the production area of the well-known Lapsang Souchong. The tea produced in this region is uniquely favored. Jin Jun Mei is often seen as a luxury version of Lapsang Souchong, with a more pronounced honey fragrance, and it is plucked at an altitude above 1,500 meters. Its production approach is similar to that of Lapsang Souchong, but it omits the smoking process and uses a higher proportion of buds in the raw material. In recent years, Jin Jun Mei has been very popular in China, and because of its beautiful appearance, it is often given as a gift to relatives and friends.
Jin Jun Mei and Jin Mao Hou
In Chinese, "Jin Jun Mei" means "golden eyebrows." Most so-called Jin Jun Mei tea in the West is actually called Golden Monkey tea. However, this name refers to lower-grade Jin Jun Mei, commonly known as Jin Mao Hou.
Plucking Season
This loose-leaf tea is plucked only before Qingming in spring each year. The reason is that after Qingming, temperatures rise and the tea plants grow too quickly, making it difficult to produce Jin Jun Mei with plump buds. Therefore, leaves plucked from the tea plants after Qingming are usually used to make Lapsang Souchong.
Benefits of Jin Jun Mei Tea
According to traditional Chinese medicine experts, Jin Jun Mei leaf tea is a good beauty tea that helps with weight loss and skin care. In addition, it can regulate the stomach and intestines, boost immunity, calm the mind, and delay aging.
Front Street Coffee suggests that if you want to experience the typical honey fragrance and delicate mouthfeel of Jin Jun Mei, you can give priority to teas from the Tongmu Village production area that are plucked before Qingming and show visible buds; while Jin Mao Hou, as a lower-grade designation, is usually more affordable.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
