A Chinese proverb says: “Grain Rain, Grain Rain; tea plucking time against the rain.” There is also a poem which reads: “When plums blossom, it’s the theme for poems; when spring comes at the Grain Rain, it’s the time for tea decoction.” Before Grain Rain the tea-leaves are tender and fragrant, and tea processed with the leaves plucked at that time tastes most pleasant. As a result, it has gradually become a custom to taste newly picked tea at Grain Rain.

This time is also the finest hour for tea plucking, processing and trading. People who have a wonderful taste know the truly pleasant tea is processed with the leaves plucked at the Grain Rain. Now there is already newly picked and processed tea on the market at Pure Brightness, but it doesn’t have so much delicate fragrance. That’s like the first love, with only a feeling of freshness. The “Longjing tea before the Grain Rain” of such high public praise tastes very pleasant.

“Longjing tea before Grain Rain” is plucked and processed before this time of the year. At the time the trees have only a bud-leaf, and Longjing tea that is processed by this kind of leaves tastes most savory and mellow. Because of the climate, Cloud-fog tea is often picked between the time of Grain Rain and Summer Begins, which is later than the others. The processed tea looks nice and plump, green and tender and its buds are indistinctly exposed. The tea infusion is as fragrant as an orchid. The tea stands brewing and the aftertaste fragrance lasts long. The tea picked before the Grain Rain is very precious, but it will not be so precious if picked after the Grain Rain! The common saying of tea planters—“tea picked three days earlier is precious, but picked three days later it will be worthless”—is related to the tenderness of the leaves.

Editor: Wen Yi