Springtime rolls around, the air is crisp and flowers are in full boom. So what's up with the tea plants?
Although tea can be harvested at any time of year (it is a perennial plant), the spring harvest boasts the best quality tea. This is when fresh green teas are being plucked, withered, and pan-fried or steamed. But first, the tea needs to be harvested before the heat of summer and more importantly, before the thunderous monsoon season cascades over them and tanks the leaf quality (and selling price). In the cool spring, the tea buds are still small and delicate and the plant chemicals, known as phenolics, are highly concentrated and give the tea a strong flavor.
Spring-picked tea will have smooth, grassy, and sweet flavor notes like freshly cut grass and melon. How refreshing!
Tea is grown in countries all over the world with different lands and climates. Each of these different environments influences the flavor and quality of the tea and is known as a tea's terroir.
Look for green teas at this time of year and check in next Wednesday for a blog post on how tea terroir influences flavor. Cheers!