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Tea Master Shares: Illustrated Process of Making Keemun Black Tea

Tea News · Nov 23, 2025

[Main Text] The production process of Keemun Black Tea might be difficult for many laypeople to understand through description alone. Therefore, looking at illustrations might make it easier to comprehend.

Keemun Black Tea Production Process Step 1: Harvesting and Grading

 

 

 

 

In the production process of Keemun Black Tea, the first step is to harvest before the Qingming Festival, specifically picking tender buds. After harvesting, the tea leaves need to be sorted by grade and have fragments removed.

Keemun Black Tea Production Process Step 2: Withering

 

 

From the illustrated process of making Keemun Black Tea, one can see that withering is an essential step. Withering primarily serves to evaporate moisture from the tea leaves, and the loss of water lays the foundation for the color and aroma quality of the black tea.

Keemun Black Tea Production Process Step 3: Rolling

 

 

The third step in production is rolling. Keemun Black Tea rolling can generally be done by machine. Rolling causes the tea juices to exude from the leaves, making the next step more convenient.

Keemun Black Tea Production Process Step 4: Fermentation and Shaping

 

 

 

 

The fourth step in the illustrated process of Keemun Black Tea production is fermentation and shaping. Fermentation is an essential process for black tea. During fermentation, due to the action of polyphenol oxidase, theaflavins are formed, turning the tea red. Of course, to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the black tea, after fermentation, Keemun Black Tea also undergoes manual shaping.

Keemun Black Tea Production Process Step 5: Firing/Drying

 

 

The final step is firing/drying. From the illustration, one can faintly see that the firing process for Keemun Black Tea is carried out using charcoal. Once the tea leaves are dried, the process of creating top-quality Keemun Black Tea is complete.

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