Tea Processing
Did you know that all tea leaves come from the same crop, the camellia sinensis?
It is the different processing methods that create different types of tea including black, green and white tea. There are even different processing techniques for each type of tea.
Black orthodox tea has a very vibrant and complex flavor, which makes it a favorite for many people. This tea features whole leaves as opposed to the ground CTC black tea that is typically found in tea bags. The steps to make black orthodox tea include withering, where the leaves are spread out for 14-20 hours to allow the moisture to evaporate. Rolling, which includes rotating and pressing the leaves to release their inherit chemicals and prepare for oxidation. Oxidation, in which the leaves spend 2-4 hours in a controlled environment, allowing the air to react with the chemicals and firing, which is when a furnace is used to stop oxidation and dry the leaves before they are sorted for grading.