Bioscience Evidence 2026, Vol.16, No.4, 235-248 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 235 Research Report Open Access Seasonal Variation in Tea Quality: Evidence from Spring, Summer, and Autumn Harvests Yingying Lin Yongkang Ruoshui Yunyou Cultural Development Co., Ltd., Yongkang, 321300, Zhejiang, China Corresponding email: 28527160@qq.com Bioscience Evidence, 2026, Vol.16, No.4 doi: 10.5376/be.2026.16.0018 Received: 10 Jun., 2026 Accepted: 13 Jul., 2026 Published: 21 Jul., 2026 Copyright © 2026 Lin, 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. Preferred citation for this article: Lin Y.Y., 2026, Seasonal variation in tea quality: evidence from spring, summer, and autumn harvests, Bioscience Evidence, 16(4): 235-248 (doi: 10.5376/be.2026.16.0018) Abstract 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. Keywords Harvest season; Spring tea; Summer tea; Autumn tea; Longjing tea; Anji White Tea; Amino acids; Catechins; Tea processing 1 Introduction Tea quality begins in the tea garden. Although cultivar and processing technology are the key factors determining final quality, the harvest season largely determines what kind of finished tea can be produced from fresh leaves. Secondary metabolites that contribute to taste, aroma, and health benefits are highly sensitive to harvest time because seasonal changes reflect the combined effects of temperature, light intensity, humidity, rainfall patterns, and shoot growth dynamics (Moreira et al., 2024). In black tea research, harvest season has been recognized as an important factor affecting quality alongside plucking standard, withering, rolling, oxidation, and drying. Therefore, season is not simply a background condition but an important management factor that directly influences tea quality. Early spring tea usually commands the highest market price because young shoots are limited in quantity and have tender leaves with a fresh and desirable chemical composition. Even within spring green tea, clear metabolic differences exist among different harvesting periods. This is one of the main reasons why consumers are willing to pay a much higher premium for the earliest spring tea rather than for ordinary spring tea in general (Cui et al., 2023). The harvest season has a systematic effect on the accumulation of chemical components. This pattern is not limited to high-quality spring green tea but has also been widely reported in white tea, oolong tea, black tea, dark tea, and other tea categories (Fu et al., 2024). This review analyzes the major cultivation factors responsible for seasonal variation in tea quality and uses Zhejiang Province as a representative case. Zhejiang has a long history of green tea production, distinctive tea cultivars, and a rapidly developing modern tea industry, making it an ideal region for discussion. At present, the major challenge facing the tea industry is not simply how to produce high-quality spring tea but how to convert summer and autumn teas into value-added products that can generate stable income throughout the year. Recent
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