We know it as Chun Mee Green Tea but this beverage has also been called “Chun Mei”, “Zhen Mei”, and even “Precious Eyebrow Tea”. Why the latter, you might ask? Because of the shape of the leaves and their apparent likeness to eyebrows!
Grown in the Jiangxi province of China, Chun Mee Green Tea is noted for having a brisk, well-balanced flavour somewhere in between sweet and astringent. The leaf grade is far superior to ground versions used for tea bags and it is also recognised as being a non-fermented Green Tea, which means it retains most of its beneficial vitamins.
Tthere is more as Chun Mee Green Tea can also boost the metabolism, helping to burn fat quicker and more efficiently in the body. It can also reduce the risks of developing Type II Diabetes, improve cardiovascular health, enhance cognitive function and offer stress relief. But none of that beats its superb taste; all of that from a tea named after eyebrows! Who would have thought?
The so-called “Precious Eyebrow Tea” is one of the hundreds if not thousands if not millions of different Green Tea types. But where did it all begin? China, of course! And when? 2737 BCE, supposedly! According to legend, the Chinese Emperor of the time, Shennong, had come to rest under an unknown tree, napping in the midday sun with a glass of hot water by his side.
When he awoke he found that leaves from the above tree had fallen into his drink and in his fascination, he decided to try the new infusion. The tree above had turned out to be a tea tree while the drink itself had turned out to be, well, delicious. And so a new beverage was born, or so the story goes.
The first known records of Green Tea consumption date to the late eighth century in a book entitled “Ch’a Ching”, meaning “Tea Classic”. It was written by Lu Yu, a man now credited for being the first to discover the health benefits of Green Tea. It was not long after that the ancient practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) adopted the use of Green Tea in its holistic healing approach to medicine. According to TCM, tea leaves were (and in some cases, still are) used to promote body fluid production, clear heat and phlegm and improve digestion. Today, some of these health benefits have proven to be true. Read on and find out more.
Type of Tea: Loose Leaf Green Tea.
Origin: The Jiangxi province, China.
Brewing Instructions: Brew using freshly boiled water left to cool to temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees. Following this, infuse for 2 to 3 minutes.
How to Serve: Choose from honey or lemon. Alternatively, serve “green”.
Tasting Notes: Like any Green Tea, Chun Mee Green Tea offers scrumptious grassy flavours; however, it also boasts subtle smokey notes with a refreshing aftertaste.
Colour in Cup: Yellow liquor, light in tone.
Health Benefits: If holistic healing isn’t your “thing”, then how about modern scientific medicine? Thousands of years on from Traditional Chinese Medicine and we now have the facts as well as the evidence to support Green Tea consumption for improving your everyday way of life. For example, reduced levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the endothelium lining of blood vessels is one of the leading causes of atherosclerosis, a chronic disease related to cardiovascular health.
Flavonoids found in Chun Mee Green Tea, meanwhile, are believed to improve endothelial function and flow-mediated dilation (FMD). According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Green Tea improves bioactivity of the endothelium-derived vasodilator, (‘vasodilation’ refers to the widening of blood vessels) nitric oxide, by enhancing its synthesis.
