Tea Processing Techniques: How Your Favorite China Tea is Made

Ever wondered how your favorite cup of Chinese tea gets its unique flavor and aroma? Let’s take a closer look at the fascinating processes behind different types of tea.

Table Of Contents
  1. Green Tea: Keeping it Fresh and Natural
  2. White Tea: Simple and Pure
  3. Yellow Tea: The Unique One
  4. Oolong Tea: The Complex Craft
  5. Black Tea: Rich and Robust
  6. Dark Tea: The Aged Wonder
  7. Flower Tea: Fragrant and Floral
  8. Compressed Tea: Convenient and Compact
  9. Instant Tea: Quick and Easy
  10. Tea Beverages: Flavorful and Fun
  11. Related posts

Green Tea: Keeping it Fresh and Natural

  • Pan-Firing (炒青): This method involves stir-frying the tea leaves in a hot pan. It stops the enzymes from working, keeping the leaves green and flavorful. The result? A dark green tea with a subtle aroma.
  • Oven-Drying (烘青): Here, the leaves are baked or dried, which removes moisture and gives the tea a distinct aroma and taste. Expect a deep green, glossy tea with a clear and elegant scent.
  • Steaming (蒸青): By steaming the leaves, this process halts enzyme activity, preserving the fresh green color and natural flavor. It’s like capturing the essence of a spring garden in your cup.

White Tea: Simple and Pure

  • Withering (萎凋): Fresh leaves are spread out in the sun or shade to naturally lose moisture. This gentle process helps retain the tea’s natural flavor and nutrients.
  • Drying (干燥): After withering, the leaves are dried to the right moisture level. The simplicity of this process is what makes white tea so special.

Yellow Tea: The Unique One

  • Kill-Green (杀青): High temperatures are used to stop fermentation by destroying enzyme activity.
  • Smothering Yellowing (闷黄): After kill-green, the leaves are enveloped and heaped, giving them a yellow color and special flavor. This is what sets yellow tea apart.

Oolong Tea: The Complex Craft

  • Sun-Drying (晒青): Fresh leaves are spread in the sun to lose some moisture.
  • Cooling (凉青): The sun-dried leaves are then cooled to lower their temperature.
  • Shaping (做青): The edges of the leaves are oxidized by shaking and other methods, giving oolong its unique character.
  • Kill-Green (杀青): Again, high temperatures stop fermentation.
  • Rolling (揉捻): The leaves are rolled into strips, enhancing their flavor.
  • Drying (烘干): Finally, the leaves are dried to the right moisture content.

Black Tea: Rich and Robust

  • Withering (萎凋): Fresh leaves are spread in the air to lose some moisture.
  • Rolling (揉捻): This breaks down the cell structure, promoting oxidation.
  • Fermentation (发酵): The rolled leaves are left at the right temperature and humidity to develop black tea’s unique color, aroma, and flavor.
  • Drying (烘干): The fermented leaves are dried to stop enzyme activity and lock in quality.

Dark Tea: The Aged Wonder

  • Pile Fermentation (渥堆发酵): Tea leaves are piled up, allowing microorganisms to ferment them.
  • Post-Fermentation (后发酵): Some dark teas continue to ferment slowly after production, enhancing their flavor.

Flower Tea: Fragrant and Floral

  • Tea Base Processing (茶坯处理): Suitable tea leaves are selected as the base.
  • Mixing and Scenting (拌和窨花): Tea leaves are mixed with fresh flowers to absorb their scent.
  • Drying (湿坯复火干燥): The scented leaves are dried to fix the quality.

Compressed Tea: Convenient and Compact

  • Steaming (蒸软): Leaves are steamed to soften them for pressing.
  • Pressing (压模): The softened leaves are pressed into shapes like cakes or bricks.

Instant Tea: Quick and Easy

  • Tea Extraction (茶叶提取): Active ingredients are extracted from the leaves.
  • Concentration (浓缩): The extract is concentrated to increase the active ingredients.
  • Drying (干燥): The concentrated liquid is dried into powder or granules.

Tea Beverages: Flavorful and Fun

  • Tea Extraction (茶叶提取): Active ingredients are extracted from the leaves.
  • Addition of Ingredients (加配料): Ingredients like sugar and fruit juice are added to create different flavors.
  • Canning (装罐): The beverage is filled into cans or bottles and sterilized to extend shelf life.

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