At a glance
Keemun Xiangluo, or Aromatic Snail, is a curled black-tea style in the Keemun family. Snail describes the leaf form, not an ingredient. It is not one separate tea-plant cultivar: research has compared several suitable cultivars made into this product style.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 祁红香螺 |
| Tea family | Black tea |
| Associated origin | Qimen, Anhui, with a wider historical Keemun trade-area account |
| Leaf form | Fine, tightly curled or snail-like dark strands with visible hairs |
Taste and appearance
The original profile describes fine curled leaves, golden hairs, lustrous dark dry leaf, red bright liquor and a fresh, tender sweet fragrance. Its prose adds caramel, floral, creamy and woody comparisons, and a honey-like finish. These are inherited sensory descriptions, not a guarantee that every cup develops on the third infusion or contains dairy, honey or added flavourings.
The original liquor photograph is withheld because identical pixels were assigned to another tea name. Its named identity could not be confirmed; the original file is preserved.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Fine, tender curls, clear golden hairs, even and clean | Tight curls, visible hairs, fairly even and clean | Tight curls, reasonably visible hairs, reasonably even and clean |
| Dry-leaf colour | Lustrous black | Black, fairly lustrous | Lustrous dark leaf |
| Liquor | Vivid red | Red and bright | Red, fairly bright |
| Aroma | High, fresh, tender sweet fragrance | Fresh sweet fragrance | Sweet fragrance |
| Taste | Fresh, mellow and sweet | Fresh and sweet | Mellow and sweet |
| Infused leaves | Red, bright, even, fine and tender, visible buds | Red, bright, tender and even | Red, bright, fairly tender and even |
Cultivar trials do not certify these inherited three grades or prove all named products have one composition. Decorative star ranks and a universal style hierarchy are omitted.
Names and origin
The source gives the same broader historical trade-area list as the Maofeng entry: Qimen/Yixian, Dongzhi, Guichi and Shitai in Anhui, and Fuliang in Jiangxi. That list is not a newly verified current protected-origin register. The source’s 1997 introduction date is preserved as an attributed development account, not a separately established founding date for every product using Xiangluo. A cultivar name, shaped product and legal origin claim need separate evidence.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
It may suit someone interested in a curled Keemun black tea with a sweet-fragrant profile. The snail shape is a useful product distinction without making the tea a guaranteed improvement over every straight or broken-leaf Keemun.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: short gaiwan infusions
The earlier Chinese prose gives a white porcelain gaiwan, 1:20 tea-to-water ratio, 95–100°C / 203–212°F water and a 5-second pour after adding water. It does not specify a tea dose. The example below makes the ratio explicit; its amounts are an editorial illustration of the prose, not measurements inferred from the separate graphic.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 5 g loose Keemun Xiangluo as an editorial example |
| Actual water | 100 mL / about 3.4 US fl oz, measured; 5 g at 1:20 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe porcelain gaiwan with room for the measured water and leaves |
| Water temperature | 95–100°C / 203–212°F |
| First infusion | 5 seconds, then decant completely; account for filling and pouring time |
| Leaves | Kept separate from the liquid after each pour |
Use your packet’s complete directions first. These inherited methods and editorial examples are awaiting hands-on testing. The earlier five-to-seven-infusion statement is not a guarantee of equal-strength cups. The prose does not specify a leaf rinse; any rinse shown in the separate image is not added silently to this version and is not a validated disinfection step. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
The original graphic gives 5 g, a nominal 110 mL gaiwan, 95–100°C / 203–212°F water and about 5 seconds for each of the first three drinking infusions, then longer waits. Actual water after leaf displacement is not stated. Preheating is not validated disinfection and the stream photograph is not a water-safety test. Keep this separate from the prose’s explicit ratio example.
For ordinary teaware options, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep each complete method together instead of selecting temperature, dose and time from different preparations.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Ask for actual growing locality, maker, harvest, cultivar and product grade. Do not infer dairy ingredients or dairy-free certification from a creamy tasting note. The source’s third-infusion aroma claim and introduction date are not a substitute for the actual packet’s description.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade | 650 | 130 |
| Grade 1 | 470 | 94 |
| Grade 2 | 300 | 60 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
How to store
Original storage method
The earlier entry uses a sealed foil or kraft-paper pouch inside a closed, dry container such as a tin, kept cool, dry and away from light and smells. Its casual tea-table or bookshelf example assumes those conditions: use a suitable cupboard if a shelf is sunny or near steam. Reseal the inner pouch after taking tea. Plain paper without a moisture-resistant lining is not equivalent to a sealed foil pouch.
Its historical targets were below 25°C / 77°F and below 50% relative humidity, with a 24-month general shelf-life reference. These are legacy figures, not a freshly verified expiry date or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. The actual product label, seal and storage conditions take precedence. The earlier ordinary-storage method does not require refrigeration; follow any different instruction for your own product.
In a UK or US kitchen
Keep the packet away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, direct sun and spice containers. A decorative outer tin does not replace the inner seal. Keep a small daily portion separate if that helps resealing the main supply. Do not assume a long shelf life from the tea’s dark colour. For opened-packet handling, read storing an opened packet.
Origin, processing and history
The retained map shows fresh leaf, withering, rolling, oxidation, temperature-controlled shaping, drying, further shape refinement and classification. The research institute’s cultivar comparison concerns samples made to a common picking/processing scheme, not a requirement that all Xiangluo use a single clone or one unchanged temperature schedule. The old 1997 account and sensory development story remain attributed rather than certified universal facts.
Common questions
Is Xiangluo one cultivar or a compulsory grade above Maofeng?
It is a curled product style. The tea research institute’s own study compared several cultivars made into Xiangluo, and an identified merchant lot uses Zhuyezhong. Neither establishes a universal hierarchy over Maofeng or Gongfu. Compare the actual product’s leaf material, process and grade.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Nominal capacity or a fill fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Keemun Maofeng, or browse the black tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.