For spring tea before Qingming, the price rises with each earlier day; after Qingming, it drops with each later day. But is this really true? Today, we must remind everyone and clarify some misconceptions: do not be too obsessed with pursuing the "earliness" of tea, because spring tea is not necessarily better the earlier it is!

1. Is It Better for All Spring Tea to Be Picked Before Qingming?

China's top-quality green teas are mostly concentrated in the Jiangnan tea region of the Yangtze River basin, with Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu as the core areas. However, most of these premium green teas are not early-sprouting varieties. Their germination rate is strongly influenced by weather conditions, and the best native varieties generally do not emerge until after mid-to-late March.

Taking West Lake Longjing as an example, the highest-grade raw material comes from the group variety's one bud with one or two leaves, not the tender single buds of early-sprouting varieties. The best picking time is in early April, not earlier. At this time, their substance content is richest, and the taste is optimal.

Similarly, in Yunnan Pu'er tea, based on local tea-making experience, Bangzhong tea emphasizes aroma, so tea from the Bangzhong area is best picked around mid-to-late March. However, the Yiwu area is恰恰相反; Yiwu tea emphasizes broth flavor, and the best picking and processing time should be after Qingming.

It can be said that each region has its own geographical, climatic, and varietal conditions, as well as its specific picking time. Blindly pursuing "earliness" actually disregards the differences among various teas.

2. Is Spring Tea Better the Earlier It Is?

To compete for "earliness," tea merchants in some domestic tea-producing areas have long used various tactics. Some regions have been developing greenhouse tea since the 1990s. However, greenhouse tea has a short growth period, insufficient accumulation of effective nutrients, a bland taste, and poor durability in brewing,始终无法与棚外生长的茶叶相提并论.

To gain an advantage, some tea farmers have turned to "early-sprouting varieties" among tea products, such as Wuniuzao. Wuniuzao sprouts about half a month earlier than Longjing and about a month earlier than the native group varieties in the West Lake area. Whenever a small amount of new tea hits the market, counterfeit teas follow. Using Wuniuzao to impersonate "West Lake Longjing" has long been a common issue.

Teas from other provinces冒充名优绿茶更不在少数. Due to geographical and climatic reasons, teas from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan generally mature and come to market earlier than those from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Therefore, speculators often pass off inferior products as high-quality ones. Before the authentic "Li Kui" arrives, the impostor "Li Gui" takes the stage.

These are market chaos催生出的 by the blind pursuit of "earliness." They ultimately trap浮躁的茶商 in the mire of market speculation and distance us from good tea.

3. Are All Buds the Best for Spring Tea?

Furthermore, making traditional premium green tea involves a mature system regarding variety and taste; not all buds are the best. This is because the content of substances in tea varies across different parts of the tea plant. Tea polyphenols and caffeine are mainly distributed in the first and second leaves, while amino acids are primarily in the buds.

Therefore, although buds are tender and fresh, the醇厚度 of the taste still requires the internal substances from the leaves for support. For example, the classic tea Taiping Houkui requires "two leaves and one bud" for authenticity.

Viewpoint: For first spring tea, it's okay even if it's a bit late!

In fact, when pursuing tea, we should not chase the concept of "early spring tea" but rather "first spring tea."

First spring tea refers to the first batch of standard leaves that sprout and grow in a year. As long as it is the first harvest of the year, it is first spring tea. Because tea accumulates many fresh flavors and nutrients during its winter dormancy, as long as it is first spring tea, these fresh-tasting elements and nutrients are present. This does not mean the earlier, the better.

We are not Mr. Lu Xun, so why must we compete for an "early" character? As long as we drink first spring tea, it is worth waiting a bit longer.