Rolling

Tea is born in the embrace of nature, gathered from the essence of heaven and earth, absorbing the vitality of the sun and moon. From green leaves to the final transformation into the "green" fragrance on one's palate, tea and its green origins are inseparable. To thoroughly explore the essence of Pu'er tea production processes such as killing the green and sun-drying, the transformation from fresh leaves to finished product is far more meticulous and sophisticated than one might imagine. Today, let's delve into the production process of Pu'er tea. Wilted Fresh Leaves In the morning mist of tea regions, just as the fog begins to dissipate, tea farmers are already busy in the fields. Red sunlight filters through the misty clouds, draping everything in a golden veil. The dewdrops on the green tea leaves wet the gloves of the pickers. The freshly picked leaves are bright green and very tender. They need to be set aside to air dry patiently. As time passes, the water content within the leaves is gradually evaporated by the scorching sun, and the once taut tea stems become limp and lie on the ground. This process is known as airing, the first step of…

Qimen black tea, abbreviated as "Qihong," is one of China's top ten traditional teas and one of the world's three most fragrant black teas. It is named after Qimen County in Anhui Province. Qimen black tea was successfully created in the first year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1875). Upon its introduction, it gained a reputation both domestically and internationally for its unique quality. Traditionally, Qimen black tea was made by hand, with quality largely depending on manual skill, hence why it is also known as "Qimen Gongfu." The tea-making skills for Qimen black tea are divided into preliminary processing and finishing. Preliminary processing includes withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying; while finishing includes sieving, cutting, winnowing, sorting, blending, re-drying, and leveling. Withering Rolling Fermentation Drying The characteristics of Qimen black tea include a fine and slender appearance, good tip formation, and a lustrous dark color; a bright red liquor; a rich fragrance with floral and fruity notes; a smooth and sweet taste; and a uniform, tender, and soft leaf base. Qimen black tea particularly emphasizes tenderness and the tightness of the tea leaves. Defective qualities include hollow and loose texture, dull gray color, pale liquor, rough aroma,…

Puer tea does indeed improve with age, primarily because the chemical components within the leaves undergo carbonization over time, significantly altering the taste. Once it has been aged for 15 to 20 years or more, the brewed tea becomes even more enjoyable. However, it is not recommended to store the tea indefinitely, as this can cause the loss of its nutritional components. Is Puer Tea Better with Age? The saying that Puer tea improves with age comes with conditions. Not all Puer teas benefit from extended storage. The longer aging process enhances the aroma and flavor, making the tea more complex and desirable. As a result, older Puer teas are often more expensive. However, there is an optimal period for aging, during which the unique qualities and aged aroma develop. This transformation is due to post-fermentation processes that occur in storage, where compounds like polyphenols, amino acids, and sugars change, leading to an ideal color and aroma. If stored improperly or for too long, the quality can deteriorate, and beneficial components may degrade or oxidize, losing the tea's characteristic flavors. Conditions for Puer Tea to Improve with Age 1. Good Raw Material Sunlight, soil, climate, and temperature fundamentally determine the…

The Sun-Dried Green Maocha is crafted from fresh buds and leaves of the large-leaf tea variety in Yunnan, using a distinctive low-temperature production process. The quality of the raw material determines the upper limit of the final product's quality. The freshness of the leaves is influenced by the tea plant variety, the ecological standards of its growing environment, and the age of the tea plants, with the ecological environment being of paramount importance. The production process of Sun-Dried Green Maocha: 1. Picking: Completed in the morning when the mist disperses around 8 to 9 AM, with a slight dew, the fresh leaves picked at this time retain their tenderness. 2. Spreading Out: This step typically lasts between 6 to 8 hours, depending on the moisture content of the fresh leaves. The leaves partially lose water, becoming softer, and the stems lose their elasticity, preparing them for the next step and reducing damage. 3. Withering of Fresh Leaves: Spread thinly (3 to 5 cm) to naturally lose water. 4. Kill-green Step: Wok kill-green is a traditional method used in Yunnan tea regions. When the wok reaches a certain temperature, fresh leaves are added, focusing on keeping the leaf temperature below 60°C…

Taishun County is located in the southwestern part of Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It has extensive mountainous areas, distinct seasons, and abundant rainfall, providing superior natural resources and a favorable ecological environment that are conducive to tea plant growth. In recent years, Taishun County has attached great importance to the development of the tea industry. Currently, the total area of tea gardens in Taishun County is approximately 6,000 hectares, with the majority (about 60%) concentrated in the five towns of Shiyang, Yayang, Pengxi, Luoyang, and Bai Zhang. Sanbei Fragrant Green Tea is the main product in these towns, characterized by its high fragrance and rich flavor, as well as its lingering aroma after three infusions. It has won nearly one hundred awards, including the China Tea Cup, National Drink Cup, and International Famous Tea Gold Award. "Sanbei Fragrant" is the leading tea brand in Taishun County, with a comprehensive annual output value reaching 1.2 billion RMB. The tea industry has become a pillar industry in local ecological agriculture, and tea income is one of the primary sources of income for local farmers. 01 Current Situation of Sanbei Fragrant Green Tea Processing The "Sanbei Fragrant" tea regional public brand has been…

How is Dragon Ball tea made? The production method of Dragon Ball Pu'er tea is the same as that of raw Pu'er tea, except that Dragon Balls are in a spherical form. The shape of Dragon Balls represents a revival of the Pu'er tea cake form. In the past, tea cakes required breaking before brewing, but now Dragon Balls come in sizes of 5-8 grams, just right for one serving, eliminating the need for breaking. As Dragon Ball tea cakes maintain the taste of tea while being convenient and appealing to consumer preferences, they have been well-received by the market. The Process of Making Sun-Dried Green Tea 1. Preparation of Raw Materials Preparation of raw materials is the most important step in making sun-dried green tea. This type of tea is best made from fresh buds and leaves of large-leaf tea varieties, which should be handpicked using proper techniques to ensure high-quality tea leaves. 2. Spreading Out and Fixation After picking, the tea leaves should be spread out and placed in a cool, ventilated area to speed up the evaporation of moisture. Once the fresh leaves become soft, they can proceed to the next step. Fixation, which can be conducted…

"Spring wind greens the south again, Biluochun is beautifully winding," it's the time of year when everyone talks about Biluochun. We talk about the fragrant tea that permeates the city, and we also talk about its staggering price. Why is Dongting Biluochun so expensive? What's the reason for its high cost? It's expensive due to its rarity, and also because of the hands involved. Dongting Biluochun, from picking to stir-frying, is done entirely by hand, taking time, effort, and care, inevitably making it costly. The first step to a cup of Jiangnan flavor is picking. How do the tea farmers on Dongting East and West Hills pick tea? When 5% of the tea shoots in the tea garden reach the initial stage of one bud and one leaf, they can be picked according to standards. First Picking The first batch of picking requires thoroughness; only when the first batch is thoroughly picked will the subsequent growth of new tea shoots be uniform in length. Otherwise, the newly sprouted shoots vary in size and length, which the farmers call "chaos." "Chaos on the tree makes it hard to pick, and chaos after picking makes it hard to sort," affecting quality. Leaving…

The low temperature and high humidity environment of the spring tea season in Guizhou, along with the performance differences in processing equipment, affect the quality of spring tea processing. To improve the quality of spring tea products and highlight the regional characteristics of Guizhou green tea, mastering key techniques such as withering, fixation, shaping, and drying is essential. The following provides an explanation based on the critical common technologies in green tea processing: Program-controlled withered leaves in the withering room I. Withering Withering is the first process in green tea processing. Good withering can improve the efficiency of fixation and better address issues with bitterness and astringency in the tea liquor. 1. Issues (1) Thicker layers of withering leaves often require turning to ensure uniform withering, which can cause mechanical damage to the leaves. (2) Withering equipment lacks auxiliary heating devices, making it difficult to control the progress of withering. (3) During withering, the digital display temperature of the auxiliary heating device is used as a reference, while ignoring the temperature of the withering leaves. (4) The degree of withering is typically judged by the softness of the leaves and their color, neglecting the presence of stems. Program-controlled unit for…

The scent is the most immediate aspect to greet you before drinking tea. A pleasant aroma refreshes the mind, while an off-odor is displeasing and makes the tea uncomfortable to drink. If you detect any of these unpleasant odors, be cautious. Charred Odor in Tea The charred odor is produced when leaves are carbonized during tea processing. A charred odor in tea typically occurs in two situations: First, if some old leaves are mixed in during stir-frying, or if the leaves aren’t stirred evenly, or if there’s too much leaf debris, they can easily become charred. Another common situation is with Wuyi Rock Tea where, if the roasting isn’t properly controlled, or if the roasting is intentionally overdone to mask some defects in the leaves, it can lead to carbonization. The result is a charred odor and a bitter taste. In daily life, many people don’t pay much attention to the charred odor in their tea. However, charred tea should not be consumed. Most of the nutrients in charred tea have been lost, so from both a nutritional and food hygiene perspective, charred tea leaves should not be drunk. Water-Stagnation Odor in Tea The water-stagnation odor refers to a dull…

The rolling of Puer tea is the first process after the tea has been subjected to initial heat treatment (withering). Traditionally, the method involves transferring the withered tea from the wok onto bamboo mats, wide wooden boards, or clean cement floors, where the tea is manually "rolled" and "twisted" by hand. This action is somewhat similar to kneading flour. So, what is the purpose of rolling Puer tea? Puer Tea Rolling Methods 1. Manual Rolling The manual rolling of Puer tea typically requires two rounds of rolling. The first round occurs after the tea has been withered and laid out to cool; it is rolled until the leaves are mostly in strip form and tea juice begins to seep out. The leaves are then left to dry until the next morning before undergoing a second round of rolling to ensure that even the coarser and older stems and leaves are tightly formed into strips. A special bamboo-made rolling mat is used for this process. The rolling technique requires circular, complete, and coordinated movements that are both firm and gentle, ensuring that the tea leaves are evenly pressured and conducive to forming strips. The duration and strength of the rolling are…