Hubei Karn Tea Co., Ltd.
Detailed explanation of the withering process in green tea production
Published Time：
2025-04-10
The killing-green process plays a pivotal role in tea processing, mainly including four categories: stir-frying, steaming, baking, and sun-drying. Each process has its unique operation method and characteristics of the produced tea.
The withering process plays a crucial role in tea processing, mainly including four categories: pan-firing, steaming, baking, and sun-drying. Each process has its unique operation method and characteristics of the tea produced.
Pan-firing, as the name suggests, involves stir-frying fresh tea leaves in a preheated pan. During this process, the pan quickly conducts heat, causing the enzymes in the tea leaves to quickly deactivate, thus achieving the purpose of withering. Pan-firing not only effectively locks in the natural color and aroma of the tea but also produces a unique pan-fried aroma, which is rich and long-lasting, leaving a lingering aftertaste. West Lake Longjing tea is a typical representative of pan-firing, with its emerald green color, high and long aroma, and mellow taste, making it a favorite among tea lovers. Steaming uses steam heat for rapid withering. In a sealed steamer, high-temperature steam quickly penetrates the tea leaves, causing the internal moisture to evaporate rapidly, while the enzymes lose their activity. The steaming process can better retain the nutrients and freshness of the tea leaves, making the resulting tea refreshing and sweet. In Japan, matcha is often made using steaming, as matcha requires a delicate texture and bright green color, which steaming can satisfy. Baking uses hot air or charcoal to wither the tea leaves.
During baking, the moisture in the tea leaves gradually evaporates, and the aroma of the tea gradually condenses and enhances. Tea made by baking has a clear and long-lasting aroma and is often used to make jasmine tea and other flower teas. Because baked tea leaves can absorb flower fragrance well, making the flower tea fragrance more intense and long-lasting.
Sun-drying is a more natural withering method. It uses the heat of the sun to deactivate the enzymes in the tea leaves and simultaneously dry them. During sun-drying, the tea leaves need to be evenly spread on the drying field and exposed to sunlight. Sun-dried tea has a dark and moist color and a unique aroma, with Yunnan large-leaf sun-dried green tea as its representative. This tea lays a solid foundation for the subsequent transformation of Pu'er tea. After a long period of storage and transformation, the aroma and taste of sun-dried green tea will become richer and mellower. In general, the choice of withering process has a crucial impact on the quality and flavor of tea. Whether it is pan-firing, steaming, baking, or sun-drying, each has its unique charm and value, worthy of our careful appreciation.
During the withering process, the temperature, time, and amount of leaves must be precisely controlled. Too high a temperature will scorch the leaves, while too low a temperature will not achieve the withering effect. Ensuring appropriate withering can shape the fresh and fragrant quality characteristics of green tea.
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