Ming Qian: Pre-Ming, literally, before the Ching Ming Festival. This is a Chinese term referring to the same grade of leaves as First Flush. Since Ching Ming Festival occurs around April 2nd to 6th of each year, the late March, early April teas are considered the utmost quality, and is priced by the day. The later the date of plucking, the less expensive. Generally, Pre-Ming is a grade designated for green teas like Longjing (Dragonwell), white teas, and some high value oolongs. Cha Qing: Pronounced Ching (the Q is a ch sound), Cha Qing refers to the raw material green leaves that have just been plucked. It is very important what day, what time, what elevation, which side of the hill, and even who, picked these leaves, which determines the quality and grading and pricing of the finished product. King’s Grade (Cha Wang): This grade has no solid definition, other…
