Keemun Black Tea (祁门红茶, Qimen hongcha)

Keemun is the black tea of Qimen county in the mountains of southern Anhui, made from the leaf of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. Its fully oxidised form belongs to the later nineteenth century, when black tea for export was taken up in Anhui, and it has been carried since by the tea farms and factories of the county. Within the Chinese tradition it stands among the red teas, hongcha, so called for the colour of the liquor and not of the leaf.

Keemun is made from a small-leaved tea plant cultivar of Camellia sinensis grown in the hills around Qimen. The leaf is plucked as a bud with one or two leaves, withered, rolled, fully oxidised and then fired dry, which leaves it dark, fine and tightly twisted. The liquor is a clear coppery red with a smooth, rounded body, and the aroma is fruity and faintly sweet with a thread of smoke-free, orchid-like perfume that the trade calls the Keemun fragrance. The tea is cut finely and graded by the size and evenness of the broken or whole leaf, the finest being the long, intact strips.

Keemun is drunk clear, without sugar, and is well suited to the table and not only to the cup between meals, because its mild astringency and rounded sweetness cleanse the palate without overpowering food. It sits comfortably beside savoury pastries, smoked and braised meats and eggs. Its low bitterness and gentle fruit are the structural reason it works with rich dishes, as it lifts fat without competing with seasoning.