Yingying Lin

Yongkang Ruoshui Yunyou Cultural Development Co., Ltd., Yongkang, 321300, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
Biological Evidence, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 4   
Received: 10 Jun., 2026    Accepted: 13 Jul., 2026    Published: 21 Jul., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Harvest season is one of the most direct factors affecting tea quality, but it is also one of the most oversimplified. In tea production and trade, spring tea is usually regarded as the quality benchmark, whereas summer and autumn teas are often considered lower-grade raw materials. However, seasonal changes alter temperature, light intensity, rainfall, shoot growth rate, and leaf maturity in different tea types and production regions. These environmental changes regulate the balance of amino acids, catechins, caffeine, soluble sugars, and aroma precursors, ultimately affecting sensory quality and processing suitability. Studies from Zhejiang Province and other major tea-growing regions indicate that seasonal differences should not simply be interpreted as a distinction between "high-quality" and "low-quality" tea. Instead, each harvest season has its own biochemical characteristics and end-use value. This review discusses the main production factors responsible for seasonal variation in tea quality and examines practical strategies for increasing the value of summer and autumn teas through appropriate processing, diversified product development, and well-planned harvesting schedules. Sustainable development of the tea industry depends not only on producing premium spring tea but also on building a year-round production system that matches fresh leaves from different seasons with suitable processing methods and target markets.

Harvest season; Spring tea; Summer tea; Autumn tea; Longjing tea; Anji White Tea; Amino acids; Catechins; Tea processing