That Small Pinch of Fragrant Pre-Qingming Tea

Pre-Qingming tea is the term used in southern Chinese tea regions for spring tea harvested at different stages according to solar terms. It begins to sprout around the "Awakening of Insects" and "Spring Equinox" and can be picked before "Qingming". Its buds and leaves are tender, rich in aromatic and flavorful substances, hence the quality is very high. However, as temperatures are generally low before Qingming, the number of sprouts is limited, growth is slow, and very little meets the picking standard. Scarcity increases value, making Pre-Qingming tea even more precious. This year's Qingming Festival is approaching, bringing another wave of fresh Pre-Qingming tea. Tea lovers will brew a pot of light tea to savor its aroma, while food enthusiasts might prefer to integrate this hint of tea fragrance into their meals.

What is Pre-Qingming Tea Like?

Generally, black tea and green tea have tightly rolled strips; pearl tea has tightly rounded granules; black tea has a dark, glossy color, green tea has a vibrant green color; the tea leaves are plump, heavy, and substantial, or have many fine hairs and a rich aroma. When brewed, the leaves sink quickly, the aroma is strong and lasting, and the taste is mellow; green tea liquor is green with a hint of yellow, black tea liquor is bright red showing a golden ring; the brewed leaves are soft, thick, and substantial, with many normal buds and leaves; the leaf veins are fine and dense, and the leaf edge serrations are not obvious.

When is Pre-Qingming Tea Harvested?

As the saying goes, "One day early is a treasure, one day late is grass." Timing is crucial for harvesting Pre-Qingming tea. When Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited Hangzhou's Longjing to observe Longjing tea processing, he wrote a poem "Song on Watching Tea Picking," which said, "Before the fire [Cold Food Festival] it's too tender, after the fire it's too old, only tea picked right at the fire time is best." This means Longjing tea picked the day before "Qingming" has the best quality; picking too early makes it too tender, picking too late makes it too old. Because ancient people had the custom of a three-day fire ban during the Cold Food Festival, where no fire was lit for cooking, hence called "Cold Food." The Cold Food Festival is the day before Qingming Festival, so "before the fire" essentially means "before Qingming."