What Is Spring (Bahareh) Tea? The Difference Between Spring, Summer and Autumn Harvests

You've probably seen the word "spring" (bahareh) on the packaging of many Iranian teas — but it's not just a decorative label. The season a leaf is picked in directly shapes the tea's final flavour and quality.

What Is Spring Tea?

Spring tea comes from the season's first harvest — the very first buds and fresh leaves the bush produces after its winter dormancy. These leaves are more delicate, more flavourful, and more fragrant, because the bush has stored enough energy and nutrients over winter to grow high-quality leaf. That's why spring tea is usually priced higher than later harvests.

How Do Summer and Autumn Tea Differ?

As the weather warms, the summer harvest begins; the leaves grow faster but lack the delicacy of spring leaf, and the brew they give is a bit coarser and simpler. The autumn harvest, the season's last flush, usually sits between spring and summer in quality — the cooler autumn air brings back some of that delicacy.

What this means for your cup:

• Spring tea: stronger aroma, gentler taste, a brighter colour in the brew
• Summer tea: a bolder, simpler brew, more economical
• Autumn tea: quality close to spring, but in smaller market volumes

Which Should You Choose?

If you're after the best possible flavour and aroma, go for spring-harvest products — like Sehreh's Premium Black Tea, which comes from Sehreh's own first garden harvest. For everyday, high-volume use, later harvests are a reasonable, more economical choice too.