Tea also comes in varieties, and not all teas are better the fresher they are. Pu'er tea and dark tea, for instance, improve with age, whereas green tea is prized for its freshness. With the arrival of the spring tea season, people often prefer to drink new tea, seeking its tenderness and fresh flavor. The "pre-Qingming" tea, picked before the Qingming Festival, and the "pre-rain" tea, picked before the Rain Water solar term, are particularly sought after by consumers. However, even green tea is not best consumed immediately after picking.
If tea has been stored for a short time, its polyphenol content is high, and these compounds can strongly irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa. For individuals with weak digestive systems, especially those with chronic gastritis or ulcers, drinking new tea can lead to stomach pain, bloating, and other discomforts. Fresh tea also contains highly active tannic acid, which can solidify proteins and iron in food, thereby hindering digestion and absorption.
Furthermore, fresh tea contains higher levels of caffeine and theophylline, which can overstimulate the nervous system, causing symptoms like insomnia, headaches, fatigue, sweating, and frequent urination. Therefore, new tea should also be allowed to age for a period of time. This allows the polyphenols and other substances in the tea to oxidize naturally, reducing their irritant effect on the stomach before the tea is brewed and consumed.