Three Things You Probably Didn't Know About Qimen

Qimen is the most widely known yet generally misunderstood tea. 

Actually, to say it's misunderstood is not accurate. There just doesn't seem to be that much information around compared to how well known the tea is. Today we are going to learn three things about Qimen to help you know a little bit more than the tea drinker next to you. 

1. Qimen in located in Huang Shan. 

Everyone knows Huang Shan and everyone knows Qimen, but not many people know that Qimen is located inside Huang Shan. Huang Shan（黄山） is not a single mountain but a mountain range. The mountain range spans about 160 miles. Qimen falls on the outer regions of Huang Shan but is still part of Huang Shan geographically and culturally. Besides sharing many cultural dishes and architecture, Qimen also has a history of producing green tea just like the main Mao Feng reigon. 


2. Qimen has historically produced green tea and still does. 

Despite being known in the west and in most of China for making red tea, black tea, up until very recently Qimen produced only green tea. Prior to the 1800s Qimen produced only green tea. In the 1800s the domestic tea market was slow and so Qimen makers decided to focus more on the export market which was much more profitable. Qimen began making black tea that was very much enjoyed by westerners. While the profitability of the new market caused most makers to start making black tea, Qimen makers never completely gave up green tea. In Huang Shan it is common to be served a Huang Shan Mao Feng from Qimen. They are usually not very good as they don't have the same level of care as Qimen makers put into their black teas or that major Mao Feng region makers put into their greens, but they are very common in the local market. The wok fried Mao Feng is to date the only reason Mao Feng from Qimen that I have enjoyed. 

Speaking of Qimen Mao Feng....



3. Qimen Mao Feng Back tea does not use the Mao Feng cultivar. 

A common and understandable mistake I often hear is that Qimen Mao Feng is black tea made from the Mao Feng cultivar. This isn't true. 

Mao Feng refers to the making. It means that there was no specific step in the making that produces a specific shape. Teas like Long Jing, Hou Kui, and Bi Luo Chun all have a specific shape that the finished leaf should be, with lots of focus and importance attached to the shape. The finished shape of Mao Feng on the other hand is natural result of the steps designed to create flavor. You see this not only in the complete lack of uniformity in the leaves of one batch but also in the difference in shapes from maker to maker. 

Qimen Mao Feng is a black tea that has no shape making step and therefore maintains the shape it took on during the process of other steps. It has no connection to the cultivar. Huang Shan Mao Feng and Qimen Mao Feng both often use their heirloom cultivars which are not the same. If they were to use a newer cultivar, it would still be Mao Feng. 

And there we have it. Three facts about Qimens that most people don't know but are crucial for understanding the tea and the region. 
If you read this far I suggest trying the Qimen Expansion. This pack which includes two servings, 10g, of three qimens designed to expand your understanding of Qimens and the flavor possibilities.