"Fresh tea" takes on a new meaning in China. In the West, where fresh is understood as recently harvested or new; on China-side, fresh tea is a type or class of tea produced in the spring and made to local customs. Typically not highly processed, these teas are made without a prevailing standard, are handmade and offer a rich palette of flavor defined by local custom and taste.
While the varietal may be known, such as a Mao Feng or Mei Zhan in Fujian Province, tea farms and local farmers harvest these teas and process them according to their taste or the prevailing local flavor. The resulting "fresh" tea has aroma and flavor qualities usually not found beyond the local area and they are produced in comparatively small quantities.
These teas often vary in appearance and taste year-to-year. The flavors vary as there is no blending and no standard beyond the color of the leaf and the discretion of the tea maker. The result is "fresh" teas, not well known but certainly some of China's most interesting and prized teas.
Difficult to find, rich in palette flavors, these rare varietals offer an opportunity to enjoy some of China's finest teas.
