Types of Tea
Our traditional teas are categorized into six types:
Green Tea, White Tea, yellow tea, Oolong Tea, Black Tea (in the Western sense, referred to as red tea in China), and dark tea.
This classification has nothing to do with the type of tea plant but is entirely based on the degree of fermentation. So here comes the question:
One: What is tea fermentation?
The above two components are crucial within the cell.
In simple terms, fermentation is their love story.
Our enzyme, a homebody, is inactive before the tea leaves are picked,
It is this person who controls the extent of the relationship between the enzyme and phenol.
Two: Different Processes Produce Different Teas
The basic methods of tea processing include six steps, let's look at each one:
Method 1: Withering
Freshly picked tea leaves are stiff and prickly, so they are placed in an environment with suitable temperature and good air circulation for collective moisture removal.
Once softened, the leaves become more manageable for further processing.
Method 2: Fixation
Remember the love story of fermentation?
Fixation aims to prevent this relationship from developing.
Using high heat, the active party is killed off,
which means the deceased enzyme cannot oxidize the phenol, preventing fermentation.
The pan-firing process you often see,
is about breaking up this couple.
Method 3: Rolling
This step involves shaping the tea leaves and enhancing their flavor.
Method 4: Fermentation
A suitable environment is created to allow the tea to ferment according to the desired level.
Different teas require different fermentation processes, each with its own name,
such as the yellowing of yellow tea and the wet piling of dark tea, both representing varying degrees of fermentation.
Method 5: Qing Making (Oxidation)
This is a unique step in making oolong tea, also known as shaking or shaking the green.
It involves shaking and airing the leaves,
to ensure even distribution of moisture and nutrients within the leaves.
With these processes in mind, tea ceases to be mysterious.
A combination of these steps results in the creation of green, yellow, white, oolong, black, and dark teas.
Three: The Production Process of the Six Types of Tea