Tea Knowledge for Better Sourcing
Practical insight into tea quality, production, certification and export readiness.
What are the differences between Organic Chun Mee 9380, 9369, and 9371?
What are the differences between Organic Chun Mee 9380, 9369, and 9371?
A complete comparison is made in terms of dry tea appearance, particle uniformity, tea soup color, aroma, taste, brewing durability, price range, and applicable markets to help buyers quickly choose the right product.
A detailed guide on how to choose the tea you want - Zhenmei 9371, 9369, and Xiumei 9380
1. 9371
Grade: Special Zhen First Grade
Dry tea appearance: tight and fine, with tips but not exposed, strips slightly thicker than the 41022 series, leaves slightly larger, green with a frosty sheen, allows a few broken pieces, tenderness slightly lower than Special Zhen;
Particle/strip uniformity: good, uniformity 85-88%, slight size variation, few broken leaves;
Tea soup color: bright yellow-green, clear;
Aroma: pure chestnut fragrance, reasonably high aroma, more obvious roasted scent, freshness reduced;
Taste: rich and mellow, thick, slightly astringent, durable when brewed, the most widely accepted mainstream tea;
Brewing durability: 2-3 infusions, mainstream for daily loose tea;
Organic FOB price range ($/kg): 3.2–4.2 (RMB 23-30);
Core positioning and applicable market: mid-range mainstream circulation; West Africa, Central Asia, Middle East, supermarket loose tea, most versatile mainstream product, typical 25g/100g traditional paper boxes;
Regular volume, traditional paper box loose tea, North Africa and West Africa mainstream → 9371 offers the best overall balance
2. 9369
Grade: Zhenmei First Grade
Dry tea appearance: tight, short eyebrow shape, few tips, mainly medium leaves, color green and shiny, partially with tender stems, moderate strip integrity, no longer at Special Zhen level;
Particle/strip uniformity: medium, fairly uniform, more length and size variation, thin stems visible;
Tea soup color: bright yellow-green, slightly more yellow than 9371;
Aroma: fairly high, relatively pure, grassy/cooked fragrance, no sharp tip fragrance;
Taste: rich and mellow, mild, lower freshness, more astringent, lower sweetness;
Brewing durability: mainly 2 infusions, flavor drops noticeably on the second;
Organic FOB price range ($/kg): 2.7–3.6 (RMB 19-26);
Core positioning and applicable market: economical whole-strip loose tea; price-sensitive general market, parts of Central Asia/West Africa, mid-range bulk, base for brand blending;
For a lower budget, want whole Zhenmei leaves, no need for high tips → 9369
3. 9380
Grade: Sow Mee Third Grade (not Zhenmei)
Dry tea appearance: short broken tea pieces, small particles, not complete eyebrow strips, flaky/particle form, not traditional curved eyebrow; color more yellow-green, lighter, more stem and vein pieces, essentially by-product of Zhenmei sifting;
Particle/strip uniformity: particle uniformity for pieces ≈87% (1.1-2.1mm size sieve), entirely a broken piece system, cannot compare to whole Zhenmei strips, advantage is even flow, suitable for tea bag machines;
Tea soup color: yellow/deep yellow-green, slightly amber-yellow, fast infusion, darker color, broken leaf characteristics obvious;
Aroma: coarse but pure fragrance, grainy/dry grass scent, no high chestnut fragrance, some slight coarse taste, advantage is fast extraction, suitable for blending