Taking a Closer Looks at Spring Tea
I've written in the past about Spring-harvested tea, and why it is typically revered more than tea that is picked later in the season. Conventional wisdom has it that the plant stores up nutrients over the winter, which then come into full play in the first new growth of Spring.
I'm sure there is some truth to this. but I always had an inkling that it wasn't a complete answer. After all, Winters can be harsh. Is the plant really just accumulating nutrients, not expending anything on staying alive and surviving the frost?
Trichomes!
You hear a lot about trichomes in the world of Cannabis. Trichomes are little "hairs" on a plant that contain globules of water-insoluble molecules - AKA, essential oils. These essential oils, as anyone who has sniffed some can attest, are powerful stuff. Well, tea leaves have trichomes, too. The iconic examples of a trichome-laden tea is Silver Needles white tea. All that fuzz is what we're talking about when we talk about tea trichomes.
How does this relate to Spring Tea?
Silver Needles are the buds of tea leaves, before they unfurl into full leaves. These buds are the first stage of tea post-winter. It goes without saying, then, that buds are inherently covered in trichomes. Of course, when we are milling Tencha into matcha, we are not milling buds, but more developed leaves. All the same, as the leaves unfurl, the underside of the young leaves retain many trichomes.
Trichomes on these young leaves serve multiple functions. For starters, given that the young buds are so fragile, they are in need of some extra protection. Trichomes provide a little shade from UV radiation to the tea leaves, and also help keep a small bit of water vapor near the leaf's surface, so they don't dry out and wither. Basically, it's sort of similar to the way all of our little hairs on our arms and legs work, sticking up in an admittedly feeble attempt to keep us warm. They are just trying to keep us comfortable!
But there's still more to it! The chemicals contained in tea trichomes often serve as a natural insect repellent. Additionally, on a microscopic scale, all those tiny hairs provide a sort of physical barrier for any insect undeterred by the scent. This aligns with what we know about pesticide use being heavier in Summer than in Spring - as trichomes of young leaves fade away, the leaves are more vulnerable to insect damage.
Of course, for us, the main benefit of trichomes is flavor. All of those aromatic molecules contained within them make for a more complex tea. Meanwhile, the essential oils made from tea trichomes tend to have more amino acids, and fewer catechins, leading to a less bitter, more savory, sweeter taste. Often, in really trichome-covered teas like Silver and Gold Needles, you get a characteristic marshmallow taste.
In any case, that should round out the picture of why Spring Tea is so much better than most other harvests. That is, until some new research comes along, which I'm sure it will.
Until then, thanks for reading and happy sipping,
Simon