Springtime is tea time

In China, spring starts with the Chinese New Year, which the Chinese call Spring Festival (春节). It marks the beginning of spring according to the Chinese lunar calendar. For the tea industry spring means the first harvest of the year. Situated in subtropical regions, most of the Chinese tea producing areas can have up to three harvests a year: the spring harvest, the summer harvest and the autumn harvest.

The tea picked before the end of May is called spring tea (春茶).

It is reputed for its high quality. Because the tea plants have had the whole winter to rest and recover, the amount of vitamins, amino acids and caffeine contained in spring tea is relatively high. For the same reasons its fragrance and taste are rather intense. As a consequence, spring tea is a well sought after item and therefore holds a crucial importance for the tea industry.

A further distinction is made between tea that was harvested before or after Qingming (清明), sometimes translated in English as Tomb Sweeping Day. Qingming occurs at the beginning of April, before the heavy spring rains. Tea picked before Qingming (明前茶) is considered to be of even higher quality.

Like any agricultural good, the quality and quantity of a tea harvest depends on the weather conditions that were prevailing during the months prior to the harvest. Spring Tea doesn’t have to be drunk in Spring, since it can be stored without any problem. Its freshness and intensity of taste is ideal for a hot summer day.