Author: Tea Tea Tea
Original Source: History, Growing and Processing of Tea
Black teas are not steamed like green teas; instead they are placed in a room for about a day to wilt or "wither." By the end of this time, the leaves are soft enough to be rolled, by hand, into little balls. This breaks the cells in the leaves, releasing enzymes that cause them to ferment.
The rolled leaves are then spread out, and left to ferment for a number of hours until proper smell and color are achieved. Next is "firing." This dry heat halts the fermentation process by killing the active enzymes.
During this firing, the leaves turn dark (actually brown, not black), and lose all but about 2% of their moisture. If the firing is not done correctly, and the leaves are too dark, the resulting cup of tea will taste weak (This type of tea is common in commercial teas in our part of the world). The tea is now ready for packing and export.
Original Source: History, Growing and Processing of Tea
Black teas are not steamed like green teas; instead they are placed in a room for about a day to wilt or "wither." By the end of this time, the leaves are soft enough to be rolled, by hand, into little balls. This breaks the cells in the leaves, releasing enzymes that cause them to ferment.
The rolled leaves are then spread out, and left to ferment for a number of hours until proper smell and color are achieved. Next is "firing." This dry heat halts the fermentation process by killing the active enzymes.
During this firing, the leaves turn dark (actually brown, not black), and lose all but about 2% of their moisture. If the firing is not done correctly, and the leaves are too dark, the resulting cup of tea will taste weak (This type of tea is common in commercial teas in our part of the world). The tea is now ready for packing and export.
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