When we talk about Chinese green tea, there is one word constantly referred to — “pre-qingming” (around 4th April). How important is it in the world of green tea?
In winter, the cold weather causes tea trees to enter a dormant state. As Spring comes, the tea buds slowly starts to grow as the temperature slowly rises. This slow process helps the leaves to produce more flavour compounds than any other season.
But Chinese tea mountains spreads from north of the Yangtze all the way to the very south of China. The temperature naturally varies across such a large region. The concept of “pre-qingming” is almost only valid for some of the green teas from Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, such as Longjing(龙井), Biluochun(碧螺春), Anji Baicha(安吉白茶).
From left to right: Longjing, Biluochun, Anji Baicha
Except for the weather, there are many other reasons for later picking. A good example is a well-known green tea Taiping Houkui(太平猴魁), which must be made from older leaves which form at a later stage of growth — picked as one bud with two leaves(picture below), the farmers begin harvesting from Mid-April, which is almost 3 weeks later than Longjing.
On top of this, a host of factors, including the air temperature, latitude, the sunny side or the hidden side of a mountain, will all affect the awakening of buds. Many single bud teas are a lot more expensive than other grades, but we should ask are they the best ones? I think ultimately, it is a subjective question. As the leaves grow, from single bud to a bud with one leaf, then a bud with two leaves, the compounds in the leaves are changing constantly, tea polyphenols and caffeine decrease, carbohydrates and aromatic substances increase, which leads to a swing from bitterness and astringency to more aromatic and sweeter flavours. So some people might like to drink ‘older’ leaf teas for their sweet palate.
The idea of “pre-qingming” can only be one of the many ways to judge what is a superior green tea. To find the ones we love requires lots of trying, and, the trying experiences are also a fun part of the tea journey, don’t you think?
-the end-
written by Fang yaoyao
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