How Tea is Made
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To ensure the highest quality teas, the newest tips of “two leaves and a bud” of are plucked by hand. This practice of fine plucking produces the best tasting tea but low yields.
This frequent picking of the young leaves and buds promotes new growth throughout the year. Depending upon the origin, bushes are plucked anywhere from three to twelve times a year. The major types of tea including white, green, oolong and black all originate from the Camellia Sinensis tea bush. The difference in them is brought about only from the way the plucked leaves are processed. The process is fermentation, or oxidation and simply put, the longer this process is left the darker the tea becomes. Green Teas The fresh leaves are immediately steamed or pan-fired to stop any oxidation occurring. * Steaming or Pan-fired - In China, leaves are pan-fired in a wok or heated drum whereas, in Japan, green tea is steamed, both processes resulting in soft and pliable leaves. With the active enzymes locked inside, the leaf is ready for rolling. * Rolling - Whether done by hand or with machines, rolling determines the unique size and shape of the green tea leaf we put into our cups. The region the tea is grown in will dictate the style of rolled tea. They can be curled such as, Pi Lo Chun or twisted - called Mei or Eyebrow teas, such as Taishan Buddha’s Eyebrow or can be rolled into pellets - called Zhu or Pearl teas , such as Gunpowder. The leaves can also be pressed flat such as the famous Dragon Well or tied into shapes such as Flower on The Brocade. The beauty of a tea and its taste is affected by the style and tradition of rolling. * Drying - Finally, a gentle heating or firing afterwards allow the leaves to dry, preserving their fresh green characteristics. At the end of the process, the leave’s moisture content should be about four percent. White Teas White tea is minimally processed; it is generally only picked and air dried. The highest-quality white teas are picked early in the spring before the leaf buds have opened and while still covered with silkywhite hair. The traditional varietals used for white tea have abundant downy hair on the young leaf shoots. These delicate teas have clear flavors that tend toward savory, nutty, and vegetal. Traditionally harvested in China, they are the focus of many studies on health benefits for their high levels of antioxidants. Oolong Teas Oolong tea is oxidized and often rolled after picking, allowing the essential oils to react with the air. This process turns the leaf darker and produces distinctive fragrances before heat is added to set the taste. The resulting tea can be anywhere between a green tea and a black tea, depending on the processing method. Oolongs can be recognized by their large leaves and a complexity of flavor that ranges from highly floral and intensely fruity to mildly roasted with honey nuances. The tea maker must carefully balance many elements in the critical few hours after the leaf is picked including weather conditions, quality of the leaf, and the time the leaf oxidizes. As semi fermented teas, oolongs can be thought as teas sitting halfway between black tea and green tea. Black Teas Making black tea involves withering, rolling, oxidation and drying. * Withering - Work starts early in the day and around mid-day leaves are brought to the processing factory. These freshly harvested leaves are spread out on racks and left for between 14 to 24 hours. During this withering process, the leaves become soft and pliable loosing much of their water weight due to evaporation. * Rolling - Leaves are then fed into rolling machinery that break up their cellular structure and release the natural enzymes of the leaf. Large rollers exert just enough pressure to roll and twist the leaves without causing too much damage. The resulting product is a green, aromatic pile of twisted tea leaves. * Oxidation - After the rolling, the leaves are transferred to a cool, humid location to begin the oxidation process. Over the next two to three hours, the leaves release their enzymes and oxidize upon exposure to air. A chemical reaction occurs whereby the mixing of polyphenols and pectin with oxygen and enzymes cause the leaves to turn black and also give bla |
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