This is an excerpt from the March/April issue of Tea Magazine
The winter thaws and the tender shoots of a new season reach to welcome the sun. Enter the spring flush.
While we’re anticipating treats like ramps, fiddlehead ferns and garlic scapes at the local Farmer’s Market –right now our tea friends in Asia are busy harvesting the first crop. The most familiar first spring flush tea is Darjeeling, but you may be surprised to learn there are others. Most origins have a first harvest of some level of distinction. Where the flavor and aromatic difference is noteworthy, the producer will label the tea as a first flush, so as to not confuse consumers when the character changes dramatically just weeks later.
What in particular points interests first flush buyers? Consider what is happening chemically to the plant during this time. The weather is cooler; new growth is slow. The rains have not arrived; there is less water in the new shoots. At altitude, the leaves are very delicate and not capable of deep oxidation; they retain much of their “green” quality. Flavorful components, including volatile aromatic oils, polyphenols and amino acids, are concentrated.
In some origins, the effect is a brighter, crisper and more floral cup. In others, the effect is a deeper, sweet umami flavor. Regardless of origin, careful attention must be paid to the brewing of these rare teas. Here are some personal favorites.
Japanese first flush
Includes shincha (the “first tea,” taking place before sencha harvest), very early senchas and early kukicha, which is made from the stems and leaf fibers sorted out from sencha production. Japanese teas are steamed, which means their cellular structure is more broken down. To brew drop your temperature and time dramatically– around 155F for just 30 seconds–for a vividly colored, sweet cup. The character should be umami-sweet and juicy, with a refreshing, mild astringency. Consider brewing in a traditional kyusu teapot to allow more of the tender leaf fines to flow through and enhance the body.
