Vernal Equinox | A thousand miles of spring breeze are no match for having you in my cup.

The Spring Equinox arrives, day and night are in perfect balance. Picking tea is like plucking the very essence of spring. As the saying goes, “Tea is at its best in spring, and spring’s value lies in its timing.” Hence, teas harvested during the Spring Equinox, Qingming, and Guyu periods are especially cherished by tea enthusiasts.

In terms of harvest sequence, Spring Equinox tea is the first new tea of the year to hit the market. It can be aptly described as: “The year’s first fresh tea is the Spring Equinox tea.” The buds and leaves that sprout after the tea plant overwinters are picked and processed into tea, typically from the Beginning of Spring to just before Guyu. Teas harvested during this period are broadly referred to as “spring teas.”

“Pre-Qingming tea” and “Pre-Guyu tea” are terms used in the Jiangnan tea region of the Yangtze River Basin to classify spring teas based on solar terms. “Pre-Qingming tea” refers to tea harvested before Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping Day), while “Pre-Guyu tea” is harvested after Qingming but before Guyu (Grain Rain).

After a full winter of dormancy and nutrient accumulation, overwintering buds are rich in organic compounds. Combined with moderate spring temperatures and ample rainfall, spring tea buds grow plump, packed with nutrients, resulting in a fresh, delightful taste.

So, how do we distinguish between “Pre-Qingming tea” and “Pre-Guyu tea”?

Pre-Qingming tea, as the name suggests, is spring tea harvested before Qingming. Its tender buds and leaves, delicate appearance, and captivating aroma make it a top-tier tea.

Pre-Qingming tea is also called “Fire-Free Tea,” a name rooted in its connection to the Cold Food Festival. In ancient times, the Cold Food Festival involved a three-day ban on fire, during which no cooking was allowed. Since the Cold Food Festival falls on the day before Qingming, tea harvested before Qingming came to be known as “Fire-Free Tea.”

Pre-Guyu tea, on the other hand, is harvested before Guyu. While it may not be as tender as Pre-Qingming tea, the higher temperatures during this period cause the buds and leaves to grow faster, accumulating more internal substances. As a result, Pre-Guyu tea often has a richer, more robust flavor and holds up well to multiple infusions.

In Chaozhou, Guangdong, the Phoenix Dan Cong tea plants, after a winter of rest, see their buds and leaves slowly awakening on the branches. From late March to early May, the Phoenix Mountain region enters its most precious tea-picking season of the year.

The people of Chaozhou classify spring teas by harvest order. The first batch of spring-picked Dan Cong is called “first spring tea,” while the second batch is known as “second spring tea.” What are the differences between these two?

In terms of appearance, for tea from the same plantation and of the same aroma type, the leaves of first spring tea tend to be finer, while those of second spring tea are slightly coarser. Aroma-wise, first spring tea is more fragrant than second spring tea. In terms of liquor texture, first spring tea offers a fuller and richer mouthfeel compared to second spring tea, thanks to the nutrients accumulated over winter. As for astringency, second spring tea may have a slight edge in bitterness, as astringency primarily comes from substances like tea polyphenols produced by the tea plant’s stress response to intense sunlight. The temperatures during the second spring harvest are relatively higher.

Interestingly, locals in Chaozhou, who generally prefer strong tea, lean toward the flavor of second spring tea. For them, second spring tea is an affordable and satisfying “daily staple tea.”

This doesn’t mean that second spring tea is inferior to first spring tea; it simply reflects regional differences and personal taste preferences. Which type of spring tea do you enjoy the most? Feel free to leave a comment below and join the discussion!