Tomb-sweeping and tea reaping

From late February, the northern hemisphere harvests its first tea of the year. But what does tomb-sweeping have to do with prized spring tea? Adeline Teoh investigates.

Fifteen days after the Spring Equinox, the people of many eastern cultures pick up their brooms and head to their ancestors’ resting places. The occasion is Qingming Jie (Pure Brightness Festival), also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day or Ancestors' Day, and it’s traditional for families to spend time tidying tombs, praying to the deceased, and making ritual offerings, from leaving food to burning joss sticks and joss paper.

Started by the Han Chinese about 2,500 years ago, and now practised by groups across Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, Qingming is as much a season on the Chinese solar calendar as it is a festival, and an important one for tea. That’s because tea picked before Qingming (5 April) attains the prized 'pre-qingming' (清明前 or ‘mingqian’) designation, which often commands a higher price from buyers. But what’s so special about early season tea?

In growing areas where there are distinct seasons, tea is generally harvested from spring to autumn, with the plants becoming dormant in winter. If you can imagine the trees saving up all their nutrients during the few months of winter, you will realise that spring marks the culmination of all that hibernation: the first leaves are simply everything the plants have to give after they’ve been well-rested.

By contrast, subsequent harvests throughout the year come in much shorter iterations, frantic bursts where the leaves have less time to develop so the flavour is not as concentrated as that first pick. Pre-qingming tea thus represents pluckings from early spring, often characterised by a more complex and distinct aroma and taste and correspondingly high prices.

If you’re a fan of new season tea, it has either already been picked or will be soon, depending on the terroir. So after putting away your brooms, be sure to make room in your collection for the new harvest.

(Below: Picking mingqian tea has already begun at Huilong Lake Tea Farm,
​​​​​​​25 March. Photo credit: Zhenjiang Daily)

Calling all ceramicists!

AUSTCS has partnered with the Australian Ceramics Association to create a bespoke teacup for Welcome by Tea 2019.

Welcome by Tea has become a much anticipated opening ceremony for the Australian Tea Cultural Seminar. In addition to providing a chance for delegates to connect through sharing tea, it eases them into the event with a calming, mind-opening cuppa.

Last year, we opened the ceremony with the unboxing of a bespoke AUSTCS cup (example below) by specialist glazier Annemieke Mulders, who then spoke about her creative process in designing it. Annemieke won the commission to produce the cup through a competition we ran in partnership with the Australian Ceramics Association.

We are re-opening the Ceramic Cup Competition for AUSTCS 2019 in Hobart. Do you know a potter? Details are available on our website; submissions due 18 April.

Last chance for EARLYBIRD tickets

Earlybird discounts will end on 31 March 2019, so if you’re planning to come to Hobart for the 2019 Australian Tea Cultural Seminar, this is the lowest priced tickets we'll offer. 

If you are an AUSTCS member, an earlybird ticket = $150.30
If you are not a member, an earlybird ticket = $167.00

Please note the regular price is $250.

Where and when is AUSTCS 2019?
The 2019 Australian Tea Cultural Seminar will be held at The Old Woolstore in Hobart over 7-8 September 2019.

How do I buy earlybird tickets?
If you are a member you must first log in and then head to the Buy Tickets page for the member discount to activate. If you are a member but have not received your login details, you can request them.

If you are not a member you should be able to buy the non-member earlybird ticket directly from the site.

Who is an AUSTCS member?
AUSTCS members are those delegates who attended the seminar in 2018, as well as anyone who has signed up and paid for membership on our website.

If you attended AUSTCS 2017 but not AUSTCS 2018, your membership has expired. You can renew it on our membership page.

Above: Two issues of CITCI's 'Tea Times' magazine.

Chinese tea media recognises AUSTCS

Following AUSTCS 2018 guest speaker Chloe Liang’s visit to Australia, two articles appeared in Chinese tea industry publications about our event. 

At our 2018 seminar, international guest speaker Chloe Liang of the China International Tea Culture Institute (CITCI) shared with us news of the resurgence of tea-drinking and how various Chinese organisationss were encouraging tea-drinking in youth and innovation in service.

In exchange, she took away an understanding of what AUSTCS is trying to do here. In the September issue of the CITCI magazine 'Tea Times', we were mentioned in a round-up of international tea events.

Tea is timeless, borderless. Across the globe, more and more tea-themed events are being held, facilitating a growing tea culture and tea trade. On 8 September in Melbourne, tea professionals from Australia, US, and China gathered for the annual AUSTCS event, which is becoming an important platform in promoting tea culture both nationally and internationally.

Australia is known for its wine culture and coffee culture, but tea culture is rarely put to the front of the agenda. The seminar is the start of exploring and promoting Australian tea culture, said founder David Lyons. 

The following month’s edition provided an account of her time in Australia, including attendance at the seminar. Here is an abridged version of the article:

The second AUSTCS was successfully held in Melbourne in September. The annual event has provided a platform for discussion, innovation, and cooperation in tea and tea culture. The atmosphere is open, inclusive, democratic. Relaxing but sincere. 

In Australia, people come from more than 200 ethnic backgrounds. The first tea plantation dates back to the 1800s in Queensland, and tea is viewed as a healthy beverage, with black tea the dominating tea type.

I was not as nervous as I imagined speaking in an international event such as this. My 20-minute speech seemed to be too short for the audience, as I was approached in breaks by attendees of different nationalities, eager to find out more. 

The tea and cheese pairing event was the most memorable for me, and each pairing was a feast of taste and senses. I also attended the Fine Food Expo and visited ITO EN's Australian tea plantation. I thought I was here to share what I know, but I ended up learning so much! 

We'd love to thank Chloe for not only attending and speaking at AUSTCS 2018 but for sharing with her community the things we are doing for tea in Australia.

Article segments translated from Mandarin by Kaishan Mellis, AUSTCS Victoria Regional Ambassador.

Upcoming events

30 March: Organic morning brews, Brisbane

31 March: Introduction to Yi Xing teapot, Melbourne

6 April: Chai workshop, Brisbane

12 April: Curiositea: Different brewing vessels, Sydney

14 April: Rocky or smokey? Fujian oolong vs black tea, Sydney 

Do you have an event to promote? Let events liaison Kym Cooper know!