Sally’s Quote of the Day
明前茶和青团
2018年4月7日
In Chinese tea culture
The Qingming festival holiday has a significance in the Chinese tea culture since this specific day divides the fresh green teas by their picking dates. Green teas made from leaves picked before this date are given the prestigious 'pre-qingming' (清明前) designation which commands a much higher price tag. These teas are prized for having much lighter and subtler aromas than those picked after the festival.
清明节对于中国茶文化有重要意义，因为它正处于采摘茶叶的中期。由清明节前采摘的茶叶制作的绿茶因为是“明前茶”而被赋予了更高的价格。这些茶比清明节后采摘的茶叶有更柔和更细腻的香味，因而价格更高。
Longjing tea , sometimes called by its literal translated name Dragon Well tea, is a variety of pan-roasted green tea from the area of Longjing Village near Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. It is produced mostly by hand and renowned for its high quality, earning it the China Famous Tea title.
龙井茶，英文有时会按照字面翻译，是在浙江省杭州市的龙井村及附近所产的茶叶。它完全由手工制作，并因其超高的品质而闻名于世，赢得了中国名茶的称号。
明前茶是清明节前采制的茶叶，受虫害侵扰少，芽叶细嫩，色翠香幽，味醇形美，是茶中佳品。同时，由于清明前气温普遍较低发芽数量有限，生长速度较慢，能达到采摘标准的产量很少，所以又有“明前茶，贵如金”之说。
明前茶氨基酸的含量相对后期的茶更高，而具有苦涩味的茶多酚相对较低，这时的茶叶口感香而味醇。再者清明前茶较少受到农药污染，特别是早起的春茶，更是一年中绿茶品质最佳的，因此诸多明前采制的高档茶叶特别受到茶友的青睐。
清明过后，天气转暖，跟着一路变化的还有西湖龙井的价钱。市场上已呈现大批龙井新茶，且都号称是“正宗”西湖龙井，但价钱差距却相距甚远。由于没有统一规范，又有很强的稀缺性，所以西湖龙井价钱犹如迷雾。质地最好的茶叶曾被炒到几万乃至十几万一斤
Pre-Qingming Longjing 明前龙井
The premium early season first-picking known as Ming Qian or Pre-Qingming (or Before Ching Ming) Longjing tea requires it to be produced from the first spring shoots prior to the Qingming Festival on the 5th of April each year (approximately). In accordance with the Chinese farming calendar, which is a national holiday between April 1–4, it rains. After the rain the temperature heats up causing the tea plant to grow faster. When the tea bud becomes too big it begins to lose complexity in the brewed flavor, therefore the pre-qingming tea is considered better.
作为龙井茶中的珍贵的明前茶是最早时节采摘的，它要求的就是要在大约每年的4月5日的清明节前采摘和制作茶叶。根据中国农历，在清明节时节，会下雨。下雨后，气温升高，使得茶树生长迅速。当茶叶芽长得太大就会失去它应有的丰富的味道，因此明前茶才更受欢迎。
Sweet Green Rice Ball 青团
The sweet green rice ball is a Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) food popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces. It is also a must-have offering at ancestral rituals in the south of the Yangtze River.
Like glutinous rice dumpling, Qingtuan is made from glutinous rice and stuffed with red bean paste. The difference is that squeezed wormwood or brome grass is used in the making of wrapper.
清明时节，江苏和浙江一带有吃青团的风俗习惯。长江以南的地区的祭祖仪式上也离不开青团。
青团是用艾叶(也可以用其他绿色菜叶代替)捣烂后挤压出汁，接着取用这种汁同晾干后的水磨纯糯米粉拌匀揉和，然后开始制作团子。团子的馅心是用细腻的红豆沙制成。
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