Each rising space has specific terminology for referring to their tea harvest intervals. In India and Nepal, each harvest is named a flush, a time interval that refers to a interval of progress throughout the tea plant. In China, Taiwan and South Korea, the phrases used to point tea harvests relate to dates throughout the typical East Asian lunisolar calendar.

When there is a dormancy interval because of cool local weather (typically winter) throughout the tea topic, the first new shoots after this period are talked about to be of the perfect top quality because of they have been construct up nutrient reserves over the dormancy interval to offer the model new leaves. Attributable to this, the first harvest of each yr is often basically essentially the most needed and sometimes the most costly. Many rising areas have specific names for this major harvest. In India and Nepal, it is known as the First Flush. In China these teas are generally called Pre-Qing Ming teas, in Japan they’re generally known as Shincha, and in South Korea they’re known as Ujeon.

Proper right here’s a info to the harvest seasons for the world’s major producers of specialty teas: India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Japan, South Korea and the nations of East Africa:

The Darjeeling and Nepali harvest interval lasts from late March to early November and is broken up into 4 elements: first flush, second flush, monsoon flush, and autumnal flush. At situations, the vegetation will proceed to flush earlier November; that’s sometimes known as a winter flush.

  • First Flush: March – April
  • Second Flush: Might – June
  • Monsoon Flush: July – August
  • Autumnal Flush: October – November

Like Darjeelings, Assams are often harvested from March to December. Elevated top quality teas are harvested proper right here all through two distinct progress intervals, the first and second flush. All completely different grades of tea are harvested after this period. The first flush begins in March, and the second flush begins in June.

Due to the warmth throughout the southernmost tropical rising areas of Nilgiri in South India and Sri Lanka, tea vegetation could possibly be harvested year-round.

The harvest season in China varies enormously with the completely completely different rising areas and elevations there, nonetheless principally the harvest season can begin as early as March and may last until late November. Accomplished teas which may be made out of youthful leaves or buds have a additional finite rising season and might often be harvested on specific dates on the East Asian lunisolar calendar. Teas plucked sooner than Qing Ming (清明 , qīng míng; truly “clear shiny”) are extraordinarily needed and command a premium; these teas are known as Pre Qing Ming or Ming Qian teas. Listed below are the two most extraordinarily regarded harvest seasons:

  • Ming Qian (明前, míng qián; truly “sooner than Qing Ming”) tea harvested sooner than Qing Ming competitors which falls on April 4–6
  • Yu Qian (雨前 , yŭ qián; truly “sooner than the rains”) tea picked sooner than the Grain Rain on April 20

Accomplished teas which may be made out of older leaves do not typically adjust to such a strict harvest calendar and could possibly be harvested at any time from April to November. Wulong is an occasion of a tea that is made out of older, additional mature leaves and as such follows a a lot much less strict harvesting schedule. For lots of Wulongs, basically essentially the most sought-after harvests begin in September and run by way of Autumn.

The harvest season in Japan varies by space as properly, nonetheless it often begins in late April and ends in early October. Japan’s sought-after first harvest is named Shincha. Japan has 4 distinct harvest intervals:

  • Shincha (新茶: truly “new tea”): that’s the determine given to the first harvest of the yr.
  • Ichibancha (一番茶: truly “first tea”) this refers again to the full first harvest season, along with schincha. Often occurs from late April to Might.
  • Nibancha (二番茶: truly “second tea”) refers again to the second harvest of the yr, taking place from June to the tip of July.
  • Sanbancha (三番茶: truly “third tea”) refers again to the third harvest of the yr taking place in August.
  • Yonbancha (四番茶: truly “fourth tea”) is the fourth harvest of the yr; it might probably occur as late as October in some areas.

South Korea’s rising seasons correspond to dates on the lunisolar calendar. Accomplished tea from the first harvest of the yr is named Ujeon. Harvest intervals that adjust to Ujeon embrace the inspiration phrase jak, which comes from the phrase jakseolcha or “sparrow’s tongue.” It’s a reference to tiny buds from the tea plant that resemble the tongue of a sparrow. You’ll need to know that absolutely completely different grades of tea are harvested all through completely completely different situations in South Korea.

  • Ujeon (우전; truly “sooner than the rain”) refers to tea picked sooner than April 20. This season corresponds to Gogu on the lunisolar calendar.
  • Sejak (세작; truly “small sparrow”) is tea picked sooner than Might 5–6. This corresponds to Ipha on the lunisolar calendar.
  • Jungjak (중작; truly “medium sparrow”) is tea picked spherical Might 20–21. This corresponds to Soman on the lunisolar calendar.
  • Daejak (대작; truly “large sparrow”) refers to lower top quality large leaves tea picked all through summer season season.

Inside the East African tea producing nations of Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Burundi, and Ethiopia, tea is harvested yr spherical because of lack of a cold season. Peak tea manufacturing coincides with the moist seasons.