Join Teavivre Q&A to win 10$ gift card.

Do we answer it here?

As Ken said, the earlier spring teas are definitely “cherished” more than later harvests. It is not necessarily the case that the earliest tea is the best or most expensive, however—that would generally be the Ming Qian, or pre-Qingming harvest, which are only able to be harvested for a short time and is strong in flavor, aromatic, and highly desirable.

Of course, all tea drinkers may have their own preference, but typically the earlier teas will be more fragrant and aromatic and mellow, whereas later in the season, leaves will be less tender due to faster growth and have bolder flavors. It’s a complicated answer as everybody has their own preference :)

Thanks for the reply and congratulations to Ken and forwardocelot to win win the $10 Gift Card.

Generally, if we pick the teas too earlier, the new tea buds are not fully expanded and the effective nutrients are not enough. So the tea not only has weak aroma, bitter and light taste, but also can not be brewed for many steeps.

Here is the second question:

Before which month the tea harvested can be called spring tea?

Here is the Third question: Does spring tea only include green tea?

Good luck to you all!

The forth question is: What is Ming Qian tea?

Ming Qian tea is tea harvested around April 5th, before the Qing Ming Festival. As a pre-Qing Ming tea, it is regarded as one of the highest quality teas that China has to offer due to accumulated nutrients within the tea tree (after a slower growth period in winter) that affect its flavor. This makes for a more aromatic tea than if it was harvested later in the season.

Thanks for all the replies, mingqian tea refers in particular to the tea from Jiangnan region harvested before Qingming festival (Tomb-sweeping day). Therefore, the right answer should be harvested before Qingming festival in Jiangnan region!