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Tea Harvest Seasons: In China and Taiwan
BeveragesSpring Volume: 2010 Issue: 17(2) page(s): 5, 6, and 7
Not so long ago, tea was only available in teabags and it was simply designated as being 'green' or 'black.' Information on a box of tea conveyed only the most generic designation or place of origin. Happily, tea enthusiasts today are being introduced to and educated about the myriad taste and flavor details unique to whole-leaf teas, the complexity of tea cultivation, tea manufacture, and the differences between teas in the six classes of tea from white to pu-er.
Many who drink tea, even those who are life-long tea drinkers, do not realize that whether classified as a green, yellow, white, oolong, black, or a pu-er tea, that the best in its class is made only at a certain time or times of the year. Each tea has a season in which it is at its glorious best. Teas that are made in two seasons of the same year will have similar but different flavor, aroma, and style characteristics. Tea enthusiasts who know the differences are able to choose more wisely.
CHINA HAS THREE TEA SEASONS: They are listed below followed by teas made in each season; the three distinct tea-plucking seasons are: Spring, Summer, and Fall.
SUMMER is the most abundant season for standard black, green and oolong teas. FALL is the second most abundant season for oolongs and some pu-er teas. In high elevation tea gardens of China, the arrival of Fall brings cool weather signaling the tea bushes to suspend growth. As Fall progresses into Winter, the plants rest and recharge their energies as the landscape slows and nature slumbers under the icy grip of Winter.
Spring is the time when China's spring green, yellow and white teas are made, as well as premium black and oolong teas. Asian tea enthusiasts believe that the earlier the pluck, the better the tea. Anticipation runs high among tea lovers as the first new teas of the Spring season begin to reach tea shops and markets. These Spring teas are harvested in China from April 5th to approximately mid-May the earlier the better. Each of these teas is highly prized by tea enthusiasts because of their fresh, vibrant flavor, youthful tenderness, and high quotient of antioxidants present in the new leaf.
The emergence of the first tiny leaf buds in early spring is known as 'budbreak' and it is a joyous time in the tea villages. As the Spring season regains the upper hand over departing Winter, tea bushes begin to 'flush' with color and the plant juices begin to circulate throughout the stems and leaves of the plant in advance of new leaf growth. The earliest Spring teas are known as 'pre-Qing Ming' teas or 'Ming Qian' signifying that the tea was plucked at the earliest time possible and before April 5th, the date of the annual Qing Ming Festival. By the end of May, production of the Spring teas will have ceased and the Summer harvest will be about to start. Pre-Qing Ming teas can be plucked as early as the end of February or very early March (depending on the location of the tea gardens); these are comprised of thousands of slender and perfectly formed tiny tea buds. In a sense these teas are made from baby tea leaves that are delicious 'just born' expressions of flavor of the tea. These teas are vigorous and bursting with flavor; they also contain the largest amount of beneficial plant nutrient that the tea plant will contain for the forthcoming year.
In just a few weeks time, the leaves on the tea bushes will have grown too large to be these baby tea leaves any longer. The next leaf plucking will produce 'Before the Rains' or yu qian teas. These in turn will be followed by what is collectively called 'Spring Tea' or gu yu. These three markers in the agricultural calendar yield the most distinctive and sweetest green teas. As Summer arrives, the once tiny leaves quickly grow into full-sized leaves. They will be plucked to make the 'Late Spring' or lia xia and 'Summer' green teas. China's Summer tea crop is important as a cash crop for export to tea packers and blenders around the world and for local consumption, but Summer does not produce China's treasured premium quality tea. YELLOW AND WHITE TEA: China produces less than a handful of yellow teas, and they are all made during the early Spring season. White teas, too, begin production approximately March 15th. Bai hao yin zhen is China's famous bud white tea and the first new white tea to be made each year. It is followed by production of the modern style leafy white teas. All white tea production is over each year by the end of May. BLACK TEA: China's best black teas are made during Spring and Fall. A few extremely delicious pre-Qing Ming black teas are made in southern Yunnan Province in the Xishuangbanna region from fat, lush, first of the season new tea buds. The semi-tropical weather in this colorful and historic tea-producing region brings an early start to the tea harvest. China's premium black teas are made in Spring and again in the Fall. Spring teas are small in size and made from fresh leaf that yields thin, slender teas, such as the fancy Keemun teas. Fall black teas are thicker in size and earthier in taste
Oolong Tea: These teas are made in late Spring and production continues thru Summer and into the Fall. The best oolong teas are made from Spring and Fall crops when both aroma and flavor will be high.
TAIWAN HAS FOUR TEA SEASONS: They follow a similar pattern to that of neighboring China but also include the addition of a fourth pluck in the early Winter in some regions. Taiwan has nearly perfect weather for oolong tea production and tea makers there create glorious oolongs in several different shapes, styles and flavors. The diversity of oolong teas from Taiwan is truly astonishing; the level of excellence that the tea industry as a whole achieves is to be respected. Taiwan's small tea farmers produce some of the world’s most delicious (and expensive ) hand-plucked and hand-rolled oolong teas. Knowledgeable tea enthusiasts place their names on sell-lists and on waiting-lists with tea farmers for their favorite seasonal teas. As the seasons of the year progress in Taiwan, the leaf changes in nature and size; and while one tea finishes production for the year, another one is just beginning. Different oolong teas appear in the market throughout the year, creating an ever-changing selection of seasonal offerings. TAIWAN'S FOUR TEA SEASONS: These are below followed by teas made in each season. They are 1) Spring with leafy oolong and semi-ball-rolled oolong teas; 2) Summer with standard grade oolong teas; 3) Fall with its semi-ball-rolled oolong, and gao shan oolong teas; and 4) Winter with small quantities of gao shan oolong teas. The first oolong teas to come to market each Spring are the leafy styles of 'Bai Hao' or Oriental Beauty, and 'Bao Zhong.' These tea plants grow in warmer climates and at lower level elevations. They are followed by the mid-elevation and high-elevation mountain-grown oolong teas such as 'Tung Ting' and then later still by the high mountain Gao Shan oolong teas from the highest tea gardens: Ali Shan, Li Shan, and Shan Lin Shi Gao Shan oolong teas can be harvested in Winter capturing a very concentrated essence of flavor in the late-harvest leaves. In New England where I live, most people I know dream all winter about the return of warm Spring weather. They look forward to preparing vegetable gardens or perfecting colorful flower beds. For me, I like to think about the fact that Spring has arrived in China and Taiwan, too. I envision tea fields and tea factories buzzing with energy and efforts of many tea workers. By now, the first of the season, fresh new teas have been made, and our orders for these new teas have been air shipped to us. In our store, it is a time to celebrate the tea harvest and to revel in the wonderful flavor of these splendid, fresh teas. The new tea year begins again with the hopes of a bright future and a good harvest of other seasonal teas that will be coming along in the months ahead. |
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