"Pre-Ming tea" is a concept that has been heavily promoted in recent years, especially for premium fresh green tea. For consumers, it directly affects the purchase price.

First, it's important to clarify the concept of Pre-Ming tea. Pre-Ming tea is tea picked before the Qingming Festival, while Yuqian tea is tea picked after Qingming but before Guyu (Grain Rain). Both Pre-Ming and Yuqian tea belong to spring tea, which generally has better quality. After a winter's rest, tea plants accumulate ample internal substances. With weaker sunlight in spring and less rainfall than in summer, these internal substances continue to accumulate without being diluted. This abundance results in spring tea buds and leaves being plump with strong tenderness retention. The leaves are soft, glossy, often with more fuzz, and a vibrant green color. Particularly before Qingming, the number of tea buds is limited, and growth is slow, making tea that meets picking standards very scarce, hence the higher value of Pre-Ming tea. Although Yuqian tea is not as tender as Pre-Ming tea, the higher temperatures during this period allow buds and leaves to grow relatively faster, accumulating richer internal compounds. Therefore, Yuqian tea often has a fresh, strong flavor and good infusibility, achieving an optimal balance, and is also beloved by tea enthusiasts.

"Pre-Ming" is a time concept. Pre-Ming tea mainly applies to green tea because green tea values freshness, especially small-leaf varieties with fine, delicate shapes. The most prominent example is West Lake Longjing, which崇尚 (advocates) a "clear and harmonious" flavor, seeking its charm in lightness. Pre-Ming Longjing tea is like an innocent young girl, pure and natural, perfectly embodying this characteristic of Longjing. As for other types of tea, black tea requires full fermentation, Pu'er tea focuses on aging, so being Pre-Ming is not substantially necessary. The quality of oolong tea largely depends on the skill in processes like shaking, water removal, and charcoal roasting; whether it's Pre-Ming is not a key factor. Even among green teas, not all are best as Pre-Ming tea, such as Yunnan green tea (Dianlv) and Hainan green tea (Qionglv). In many tea mountains in Yunnan and Hainan, temperatures rise before Qingming, and tea leaves have already sprouted and unfolded; Pre-Ming tea might even be considered old. Additionally, some high-mountain green teas produce their first flush after Qingming or even Guyu, so there is simply no Pre-Ming tea available. Therefore, one should not place excessive importance on whether tea is "Pre-Ming".