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A simplified process of manufacturing tea

The tea leaves (top two leaves and the bud leaf) are first plucked (picked) from the end of the branchlet. They are then brought to the tea manufactory where they will undergo the following processes:

The plucked leaves are placed on a withering (drying) rack. This first stage of withering may take 10 to 20 hours and its purpose is to bring down the internal moisture of the leaf to somewhere (depending upon the varital) between 60% and 70% of the original (at time of pluck) moisture. This reduction of moisture makes the leaf pliable and more amenable to the next step which is...

generally the grinding or breaking machines. These machines cut or crush the leaf for the purpose of exposing the enzymes inside of the cell to further development as a result of coming into contact with oxygen. This is called oxidation (not fermentation). The leaves begin to turn a bright copper penny color and 2 or 3 hours is generally enough time to accomplish this. After this phase the tea goes into...

the drying operation. Tea is dried (removes the balance of internal moisture until it is down to somewhere between 2% and 7% by weight) for between 30 minutes to several hours. The drying operation is exceptionally important in that this is the process which "seals in" all of the flavor and can represent one of the major differences between a mediocre tea and a superb tea even thought they may come from the same estate. Following the drying operation...

the tea may be exposed to a static electricity roller or other process to remove unwanted leaf stem or vein fiber which adds no flavor to tea but does add additional weight which you, the consumer, pay for.

The above are basic steps for producing black tea and will produce a quite acceptable cup of that tea. There could be one of two (dependent upon where in the world the tea is plucked) additional procedures but essentially all that is needed are the above steps.

Green tea and Semi-Black tea are both processed differently than above but that will be taken up in a later edition.

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Copyright © February 1996