Green tea processing is the event where newly plucked tea leaves will undergo a transformation in order to become a "green type" of tea.
This requires time along with skill so that the quality of the brew is not lost. Some varieties of green tea are expensive, so the tea processor must know what he or she is doing in order to maintain the reputation of the tea farm.
Here are the green tea processing steps some varieties will pass through.
The best quality green teas are the ones that have come from the first flush (usually mid April). There are 3 or 4 flushes in a year, but the first produces the finest greens.
Now,
After the leaves are picked they are put into special containers which blow air on them in order to keep them fresh before they are processed.
The first step of green tea processing is steaming. This is done in order to stop oxidation, which can alter the unique taste of green tea. The leaves will pass through two steaming machines before being cooled. Also, different varieties of green will have varied steaming times.
The next step of the green tea processing stage is to remove moisture from the leaves. This is done with hot air as they are placed in a tea rolling dryer.
After the dryer, the flexible leaves are then sent to a tea rolling machine where they are rolled under pressure, evenly distributing moisture throughout the leaves and bringing out the natural oils which gives them their distinct flavor.
The next step brings the leaves in a second dryer where they are rolled around until the dried leaves are round in shape.
After that, the leaves are now ready for the final rolling step in which they are placed in small pots, where under pressure are rolled again, this time into small needle-like shapes.
The leaves are then put on a long conveyer belt to slowly dry for the final time, then are filtered (to remove unwanted particles), vacuum sealed in bags, graded, and then sent out to distributors.
The processing of green tea can normally take about three hours before completion.
