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Roasted green tea fresh tea processing technology
Baked green tea, while a small portion is sold directly in the market, is mostly used to produce tea embryos that are damaged during processing. These are then transformed into flower tea, which is widely consumed by people for drinking. Regions such as Northeast China, North China, Northwest China, and Chengdu in Sichuan have a high demand for this type of tea every year.
The process of baking green tea involves three main steps: fixation, rolling, and drying. Fixation is similar to that of pan-fried green tea, with the same purpose and method. The key difference lies in the rolling stage. Since most baked green tea is intended for domestic consumption and needs to withstand brewing without breaking, the rolling is done more gently than in pan-fried green tea. To maintain the integrity of the tea strands, a method called "sub-sieving" is used, where the tea is rolled briefly on a sieve surface, especially when mixing old and tender leaves, which proves very effective.
Drying is typically done using a baking method, divided into two stages: Mao Huo (initial baking) and Full Fire (final drying). During artificial baking, a dedicated roasting cage or small oven is used. For Mao Huo, charcoal is placed in the oven and allowed to burn down before being covered with ash. The temperature is gradually increased to around 90°C, and the tea is roasted carefully, turning it every 3-4 minutes. This process is repeated 5-7 times until the tea reaches about 50% dryness. After cooling, it moves on to the full fire stage, where lower temperatures are used to ensure even drying.
For mechanized baking, there are two types of dryers: hand-held louver dryers and automatic dryers. In the case of a hand-held 100-sheet dryer, the process begins by heating the oven and distributing the tea evenly on the top layer. As the tea falls through each level, the thickness and drying time are adjusted accordingly. Once fully dried, the tea is cooled and prepared for final packaging.
Automatic dryers streamline the process, allowing for continuous feeding of tea leaves at controlled speeds. The speed, temperature, and leaf thickness are adjusted based on moisture content. After drying, the tea must be cooled before being stored or shipped. Whether manually or mechanically processed, proper cooling is essential to preserve quality and ensure safe storage.