Where is 'Pre-Qingming Tea' produced?

Many people broadly assume that Pre-Qingming Tea is tea picked and processed on the Qingming Festival itself. Actually, that's not accurate. Pre-Qingming Tea is the name given to spring tea picked before the Qingming solar term in the Jiangnan tea region along China's Yangtze River basin. This region mainly includes Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangxi, southern Anhui, southern Jiangsu, and southern Hubei. The main categories of Pre-Qingming Tea are green tea and a small amount of black tea. Teas like Tieguanyin, Dahongpao, and Pu'er do not have a 'Pre-Qingming' concept.

What is the value of 'Pre-Qingming Tea'?

China's tea-producing regions are divided based on climate differences into: the Southwest Tea Region (including Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan), the South China Tea Region (including Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Hainan, etc.), the North China Tea Region (including Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Shandong, and northern Anhui, northern Jiangsu, northern Hubei), and the Jiangnan Tea Region. The Jiangnan Tea Region is China's main tea-producing area, accounting for about two-thirds of the national annual output. Famous traditional Chinese teas like West Lake Longjing, Dongting Biluochun, and Huangshan Maofeng are all produced in this region.

From this perspective, consumers can easily identify Pre-Qingming Tea; its main production area is the Jiangnan Tea Region. Spring tea from regions like Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangxi, Fujian, Hainan, etc., even if picked before Qingming, cannot be called Pre-Qingming Tea. This is because most areas in the Southwest and South China Tea Regions are located in southern China, where temperatures rise early in spring. Tea picking often starts around the Chinese Lunar New Year, and by Qingming, picking has been ongoing for nearly two months. Conversely, in the North China Tea Region, due to climate reasons (e.g., Henan, Shandong), tea picking often only begins after Qingming, so there is no Pre-Qingming Tea concept there. Similarly, 'Rain Before Grain Rain Tea' refers to tea picked in the Jiangnan region after Qingming and before the Grain Rain solar term.

Why is 'Pre-Qingming Tea' expensive? Where does its value lie?

Rarity Commands Value

In the Jiangnan tea region, temperatures are generally low before Qingming. Tea trees typically begin to sprout around the Spring Equinox, and picking starts before Qingming. Due to limited sprouting and slow growth, the yield meeting picking standards is very low. Typically, a very skilled tea picker can only harvest half a jin (250g) of fresh leaves per day. It takes 4 jin of fresh leaves to produce 1 jin of dry tea. This is followed by screening and refining. It has been verified that each jin of dry tea often contains over 60,000 buds. Rarity commands value, thus highlighting the worth of 'Pre-Qingming Tea'.

Rich in Nutrients

In the Jiangnan tea region, tea trees remain dormant for a long period in winter. After the spring tea season, farmers focus on tea garden management, including pruning, fertilizing, and mulching. During the long winter, nutrients accumulate fully within the tea trees. Coupled with low temperatures in early spring, the growth rate is slow. Therefore, sprouting is dense, buds are plump and sturdy, tenderness is excellent, and leaves are thick. Additionally, tea leaves during this period are rich in internal compounds, have high water extract content, and high chlorophyll content, especially chlorophyll A. Consequently, the processed green tea has a vibrant green color. When brewed, the leaves stand upright, looking very appealing with excellent visual effect. Furthermore, the amino acid content is relatively higher than in later teas. The content of volatile components imparting fresh or roasted chestnut aromas is higher, while the content of bitter and astringent tea polyphenols is relatively lower, resulting in a tea that is fragrant and mellow in taste.

Healthy and Pollution-Free

Before Qingming, temperatures are low, and generally, there are no pest problems, eliminating the need for pesticides. The tea is pollution-free. Therefore, spring tea, especially early spring tea, is often the best quality green tea of the year. Hence, many high-end famous teas, such as West Lake Longjing, Dongting Biluochun, Huangshan Maofeng, Lushan Yunwu, etc., are all picked and processed in the early spring period. Pre-Qingming tea, in particular, is the premium among premium teas, becoming the favored 'darling' of tea enthusiasts.

Only Once a Year

Pre-Qingming Tea comes only once a year. Be good to yourself; good tea isn't just for gifting, enjoy it yourself.

How to Choose 'Pre-Qingming Tea'?

As an ordinary consumer, to buy authentic and high-quality Pre-Qingming Tea, first, always go to branded, reputable tea shops. Branded stores have a reputation to uphold and won't easily risk selling counterfeits.

Second, pay attention to the tea's origin. For example, only green tea and some black teas have Pre-Qingming versions, and they only come from Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangxi, southern Anhui, southern Jiangsu, and southern Hubei.

Third, if you have some tea-tasting experience, be sure to sit down and taste the tea when buying Pre-Qingming Tea. Before brewing, observe the tea's appearance and color, and savor its aroma. Spring tea leaves are usually tightly wrapped, plump, and substantial, some with many fine hairs, exhibiting fresh color and strong fragrance. Then, after brewing, further judge by smelling the aroma, tasting the flavor, and observing the brewed leaves. New tea sinks quickly when brewed, has a strong and lasting aroma, and a mellow taste. Green tea liquor is green with a hint of yellow; black tea liquor is bright red with a golden ring. The brewed leaves are soft, thick, and substantial, with many normal buds and leaves. In terms of taste, Pre-Qingming Tea must have a very smooth mouthfeel without strong bitterness or astringency.

Finally, you can also follow Tea Encyclopedia's journey to find spring tea. We travel to various regions and promptly recommend the compared and discovered spring teas on our platform.

How to Brew 'Pre-Qingming Tea'?

Brewing 'Pre-Qingming Tea' requires attention. Drinking spring tea isn't about the newer, the better. Freshly processed Pre-Qingming Tea is best not consumed immediately. Let it rest for one to two weeks first; the flavor will be better (this is why Tea Encyclopedia's recommended Shifeng Longjing Tea is recommended a few days after Qingming—it needs 'ash storage' resting for some days). New tea often carries a 'fire' taste. If brewed immediately, it can make your throat feel dry, and the flavor won't be as fresh. Also, newly processed tea retains some moisture, which is not conducive to storage. Proper storage can not only remove the 'fire' taste but also reduce the moisture content of the dry tea.

Do not use boiling water to brew Pre-Qingming Tea. Since Pre-Qingming Tea is generally tender, a temperature around 85°C is ideal. The more tender and greener the tea, the lower the brewing water temperature should be. This way, the brewed tea liquor will be bright green, fresh, and brisk in taste, and the nutrients in the tea leaves are less likely to be destroyed. As often said, water that's too hot 'scalds' the tea leaves. It's best to pour boiling water into one cup first, then pour it into the teacup for brewing, making it easy to control the temperature. For tender Pre-Qingming Biluochun tea, one should even add water first, then put in the tea leaves.

It's best to use a glass cup for brewing. Pre-Qingming Tea is valued not only for its green liquor, fresh taste, and rich aroma but also for its beautiful shape. Longjing dry tea should be flat, level, and straight; Biluochun dry tea should be 'curled like a snail.' After brewing, watching the tea buds and leaves slowly unfurl and float up and down in the glass cup is also a special pleasure.

How to Distinguish Between 'Pre-Qingming Tea' and 'Rain Before Grain Rain Tea'?

In recent years, people have developed a preference when buying tea: to buy the earliest and most tender tea, even opting only for teas made from single buds. Actually, that's not necessarily true. For high-quality tea, it's not always the more tender, the better. Bud tea made from picking tiny, young single buds is indeed beautiful in appearance, but in terms of richness of internal compounds, it is inferior to tea with one bud and one or two leaves. Taking Longjing tea with its long history as an example, the raw material for its top-grade tea is one bud and one or two leaves; single buds are never picked as raw material (the Pre-Qingming Shifeng Longjing recommended recently by Tea Encyclopedia is also not single buds, nor the most tender one-bud-one-leaf just unfolding, so its appearance is not the most beautiful).

The societal admiration for 'Pre-Qingming Tea' is more about its abstract concept than practical value, more about aesthetic significance than drinking value. The vanity of tea drinkers plays a significant role. Because 'Pre-Qingming Tea' is scarce and precious, being able to drink it often symbolizes status and taste.

Actually, although 'Rain Before Grain Rain Tea' is not as tender as 'Pre-Qingming Tea,' due to higher temperatures during this period, bud and leaf growth is relatively faster, and accumulated internal compounds are richer. Therefore, 'Rain Before Grain Rain Tea' often has a fresh, strong flavor and good endurance for multiple infusions. Tea picked during this period is neither too early nor too late, hitting the right timing, capturing the essence of the season, and is also excellent tea with high cost-effectiveness.

Furthermore, influenced by climate, variety, and cultivation management conditions, the tea-picking time varies each year. Generally speaking, picking progresses gradually from south to north, with a time difference of 3-4 months. Additionally, even within the same tea region or the same tea garden, picking times may differ by 5-20 days due to altitude and water/fertilizer management variations. Therefore, one cannot judge tea quality solely by the picking season. In tea gardens with higher temperatures, picking might have occurred 2-3 times before Qingming. Yet, in some higher altitude, more northern areas, not a single picking might have occurred even after Qingming. Judging tea quality purely by picking sequence would be laughable!

'Pre-Qingming Tea' is early, tender, good-looking, and prestigious; 'Rain Before Grain Rain Tea' is tasty, flavorful, and more accessible. It's merely about different consumer pursuits.