One single word explains it all: freshness. Drinking green tea in spring is mainly for tasting the first fresh sprouts and unlocking sluggish energy built up over winter. After months of dormancy throughout winter, green tea accumulates its highest level of amino acids that create brisk umami taste, while tea polyphenols which bring astringency stay at a moderate level.
No other tea can better represent the rising vital energy of spring. Below is a complete professional guide to enjoying spring green tea.
Part 1 Choose the Right Variety, Chase True Freshness Spring green tea is all about picking at the earliest possible time. It is divided into three categories according to picking date and appearance:
• Pre-Ming Tea (Top Priority) Plucked before Pure Brightness Festival. These tender buds contain the maximum amino acids. They taste fresh, sweet and almost free of bitterness, with elegant neat appearance. Famous selections include West Lake Longjing, Dongting Biluochun and Huangshan Maofeng.
• Grain Rain Tea (Best Value for Money) Harvested between Pure Brightness and Grain Rain. Though leaves are slightly bigger, they carry richer internal substances, delivering fuller taste and better resistance to repeated steeps. With far more approachable prices, it is ideal for daily drinking in large quantity.
• Premium Aromatic Special Teas If layered fragrance is your priority: Anji White Tea (named white tea but essentially green tea, famous for outstanding freshness); Xinyang Maojian with lasting chestnut aroma; Liu'an Guapian made purely of leaves without buds or stalks for rich concentrated flavor.
Part 2 Brewing Skills Determine Final Taste Green tea leaves are extremely delicate. They hate being soaked or scalded by boiling water. Improper brewing will result in unpleasant cooked leaf taste or harsh astringency.
1. Water Temperature
• For tender pre-Ming buds such as Longjing and Biluochun: 80℃–85℃. Let boiled water cool down for 1 to 2 minutes before brewing to fully preserve fresh briskness.
• Grain Rain tea or large-leaf tea including Taiping Houkui and Liu'an Guapian: 85℃~90℃. A slightly higher temperature helps fully release the hidden aroma.
2. Tea Ware
• Clear glass cup (the best choice): It allows you to watch tea leaves unfurl gracefully like dancing in the water. Meanwhile glass releases heat quickly so leaves will not be overcooked.
• Never steep tea in a vacuum flask for a long time, otherwise the tea liquor will turn yellow and taste bitter. 3. Three Classic Tea Putting Techniques
• Top infusion method (water first, tea second): Ideal for heavy, hairy tea like Biluochun. Fill the cup with water first, then scatter tea leaves on top and let them sink slowly, so fine hairs spread evenly.
• Middle infusion method (half water first, then tea): Perfect for flat-shaped tea such as West Lake Longjing. Pour one third of water into the cup, add tea and shake gently to awaken fragrance, then fill up the cup.
• Bottom infusion method (tea first, water second): Designed for large leaves like Taiping Houkui and Liu'an Guapian, making sure every leaf gets fully soaked.
