Every spring, all things revive, and after a winter of rest, tea trees vie with each other to stretch out their plump buds. “When the spring breeze arrives in February or March, it's time to light the stone stove and try the new tea.” Without exception, the aroma of spring tea fills the air across the country.
One: What is Spring Tea?
Spring tea generally refers to the tea made from the shoots and leaves that sprout from the tea tree after its winter dormancy in the spring. Spring tea can be considered the first tea harvested in the year. Some people believe that “the earlier the better” for spring tea, but this concept is not entirely correct.
The time for picking high-quality teas varies each year. For example, the first spring tea can be harvested from February to March, with Yibin, Sichuan starting around mid-February, and the Wenzhou area starting in the second half of February. The Jiangbei tea region typically harvests around the Qingming Festival. Therefore, it cannot be said that the earlier the spring tea, the better.
In summary, based on specific harvesting periods, spring tea can be divided into four categories: the first picking tea, the first spring tea, Mingqian tea (tea picked before the Qingming Festival), and Yushan tea (tea picked before the Guyu Festival). These are detailed as follows:
01: First Picking Tea
First picking tea sounds like “first lucky tea,” a term imbued with auspicious meaning. It refers to the first harvest of a small number of shoots and leaves that reach the picking standard after the tea garden comes alive in the spring. Because there is an extremely limited amount, the selection range is very small. Therefore, the first picking tea is used to make the first batch of spring tea. Although “few” should represent preciousness, the small quantity means a limited selection range, so the quality of the first picking tea may not be the best of the first spring. There is no need to blindly pursue the first picking tea.
02: First Spring Tea
The first spring tea is the first batch of tea harvested in the spring.
The first spring tea for green tea can generally be harvested from February to March. For instance, Yibin, Sichuan begins harvesting around mid-February, while Yongjia, Wenzhou, starts picking the early variety in the second half of February. Fuding white tea is usually harvested at the beginning of March, and the Jiangbei tea region often picks around the Qingming Festival. For some high-altitude tea regions, the first spring tea is harvested even later.
03: Mingqian Tea
“Mingqian tea” refers to tea harvested before the Qingming Festival.
Mingqian tea is mainly produced in the Jiangnan tea region and includes mainly green tea and a small amount of black tea. The low temperatures before the Qingming Festival present a challenge for tea trees. During colder weather, the number of sprouting shoots is limited, and their growth rate is slow, resulting in a small yield that meets the picking standards. This is why there is a saying that “Mingqian tea is as valuable as gold.”
04: Yushan Tea
Yushan tea is the tea harvested before the Guyu Festival.
Although Yushan tea is not as tender as Mingqian tea, due to higher temperatures, the shoots and leaves grow relatively faster and accumulate more internal substances. The tea shoots are full and the leaves are green, so Yushan tea often has a fresh and strong flavor and is more durable when brewed.
It is important to note that the concepts of “Mingqian” and “Yushan” are most meaningful for the tea regions in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui. Southern regions like Yunnan and northern regions such as Shandong do not have these concepts. Some green tea gardens in Shandong may not even have sprouted by the Qingming Festival, while the tea areas in Yunnan are already lush with green leaves by then.
Two: What are the Benefits of Spring Tea?
1. Spring Tea Varieties are Healthy and Environmentally Friendly
During the spring season, the temperature is low, and pests and diseases occur less frequently. Generally, pesticides are not needed, so spring tea is typically free from pesticide contamination. Therefore, in terms of tea quality and pesticide residue levels, spring tea is generally safe and environmentally friendly.
2. Spring Tea Contains Rich Nutrients
After a winter and spring of rest, tea trees accumulate sufficient nutrients, making the internal substances in the tea leaves often the richest.
3. Spring Tea Has Better Aroma and Flavor
Due to the relatively lower temperatures in the spring, the synthesis of nitrogen-containing compounds is favorable, and the levels of free amino acids, proteins, and other nutrients are relatively high. Consequently, the aroma and flavor of spring tea are often better.
Three: How to Identify Spring Tea?
1. Dry Inspection
This primarily involves judging the color, aroma, and shape of dry tea.
For green tea, if the color is green and lustrous, and for black tea, if the color is dark and lustrous, and the tea leaves are robust and substantial, or have many white hairs, and the strips of black tea and green tea are tightly bound, and the beads of pearl tea are round and compact, and the aroma is rich and fragrant, these are characteristics of spring tea.
For green tea, if the color is grayish, and for black tea, if the color is ruddy, and the tea leaves are light and loose, with slender and wide young stems, and the strips of black tea and green tea are loose, and the beads of pearl tea are loose and puffed, and the aroma is slightly coarse and old, these are characteristics of summer tea.
For green tea, if the color is yellowish-green, and for black tea, if the color is dark red, and the tea leaves are of uneven size, with thin and small leaves, and the aroma is relatively mild, these are signs of autumn tea.
2. Wet Inspection
This involves brewing the tea for further evaluation.
For any tea that sinks quickly after being brewed, has a strong and lasting aroma, and a mellow taste; for green tea, if the broth color is green with a yellow hue, and for black tea, if the broth color is bright with a golden ring; and if the tea leaves are soft and thick, with a high proportion of normal buds and leaves, these are characteristics of spring tea.
For any tea that sinks slowly after being brewed, and has a slightly lower aroma; for green tea, if the taste is somewhat thin and Astringent, the broth color is bluish-green, and the leaves in the tea dregs contain copper-green buds and leaves; for black tea, if the taste is strong but lacks freshness, the broth color is reddish and dark, and the leaves in the tea dregs are brighter red; and if the tea leaves are thin and harder, with a high proportion of opposite leaves, these are characteristics of summer tea.
For any tea that has a low aroma after being brewed, a bland taste, and leaves in the tea dregs containing copper-green buds and leaves, with varying leaf sizes and a high proportion of opposite leaves, these are characteristics of autumn tea.