Mingqian
Definition
Chinese teas plucked before the Qingming festival, around April 4 to 5, considered the highest grade of spring Chinese green tea. Mingqian leaves are small, tender, and rich in amino acids.
Why it matters
Mingqian, literally before Qingming, refers to leaves picked before the Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping) festival, which falls on April 4 or 5 depending on the year. In traditional Chinese tea grading, mingqian represents the earliest and most prized spring pick, when buds are tightly furled, slow-grown over the cold months, and unusually concentrated in amino acids and aromatic compounds. Mingqian harvests are small. Cold spring weather restricts growth, and the picking window is narrow, often only one to two weeks. The leaves are typically tiny single buds or one-bud-one-leaf sets, requiring large numbers of skilled pickers for relatively low yields, which is reflected in price. The term is most closely associated with premium Chinese greens such as Longjing, Biluochun, Huangshan Maofeng, and Anji Baicha. A mingqian Longjing, for instance, is among the most expensive teas in the Chinese market each year.