When Is First Spring Tea Picked? How It Differs from Second Spring Tea
Once March arrives, it is the season for picking spring tea. Anyone with a little knowledge of tea will know that spring tea leaves are very tender, and their quality is generally better than tea picked at other times of the year. However, among spring teas, different qualities can vary greatly. Although second spring tea is also spring tea, its quality is much lower than first spring tea. Today, the editor will introduce when is the time to pick first spring tea? How does it differ from second spring tea?
1. When is the time to pick first spring tea?
The first wave of tea picked in spring, as long as it is the first picking of the year, is all first spring tea. For China's famous high-quality teas, first spring tea represents the highest quality. But even for first spring tea, the picking time differs for different types of tea. The first spring tea time for green tea generally can extend from February to March, while in some high-altitude tea regions, the picking time for first spring tea is even later.
2. How does it differ from second spring tea?
In Yunnan, because of drought, the timing of first spring leaf growth differs in many places, so we use the general timeframe to set a definition.
Second spring: early April to late April
Late spring: late April to early May
Summer tea: mid-May
Autumn tea: mid-September
From this timeframe, we can see that the interval between first spring, second spring, and late spring tea is the shortest, while from autumn tea to spring tea it is the longest. After fresh leaves grow and are picked, the tea plant needs to absorb nutrients and water, from the soil to the roots, and then disperse them to the branches and buds. The interval for first spring is the longest; on the one hand, the tea plant's growth time is extended, and the time for absorbing nutrients from the soil increases, so the leaves' nutrients are higher, which in turn determines the tea's quality.
From the growth state, one can perceive the nutrients of the tea plant's fresh leaves, but in practice, how do you identify it? This is a detailed question. From the tea plant's fresh leaves, or dry tea, or the brewed leaf base, there is no way to do it. First spring tea, because of its long growth cycle, has more nutrient substances. From the four points of our tea tasting, we can make a comparison.
1. The aroma is high, obvious, and rich, and can easily be felt.
2. Tea soup aroma: the aroma of the tea soup is the most important point. If the tea soup's aroma is rich, and every infusion has an obvious aroma, the tea leaves selected must be good.
3. Tea soup taste: first spring tea, with a long growth cycle and more nutrients, when the tea soup enters the mouth, you can perceive its thickness and richness, as if the surface of the tongue is wrapped in many gelatinous substances, rather than being as bland as water. (Of course, many teas can achieve this point, but first spring tea soup is absolutely the best enjoyment for the tongue)
4. Sweet aftertaste duration: after the tea soup enters the mouth, the sweet aftertaste will produce a sweet rhyme in the entire oral cavity, or on the surface of the tongue, and the sweet rhyme is retained for a relatively long time. If it is second spring or late spring, you can feel that after the tea soup enters the mouth, a sweet rhyme will be produced, but it stays for a very short time.