Dawn Harvest: When Fingertips Meet Tea Buds
At dawn, the picker's touch meets the tea shoot.
Picked at just the right time: tender buds for green tea, mature leaves for oolong. Each harvest follows nature's rhythm—only sun-kissed leaves, gathered on clear mornings.
More than leaves, it's mountain sunlight—sealed in tea, waiting to awaken.
Wilting: Letting the Leaves Breathe
Wilting is the first transformation tea leaves undergo after being picked. Through controlled moisture loss, the fresh leaves soften while quietly developing their initial layers of aroma.
Natural WiltingThe leaves are spread evenly on bamboo mats or wilting racks, placed in well-ventilated indoor spaces or mild outdoor environments. Here, the natural flow of air gently carries moisture away from the leaves.
Green-Making (Shaking and Oxidation)
(Unique to oolong tea and some other types)
This process is the soul of oolong tea flavor. Through alternating shaking and resting, the edges of the leaves oxidize gently from the movement, gradually forming the iconic "green leaves with red borders" and creating rich floral and fruity aromas.
The subtlety of green-making lies in this: through a seemingly simple repetition of “shaking and resting,” the tea quietly undergoes a profound transformation in flavor.
Fixation — Locking in Freshness with High Heat
主要特征
Pan-FiringThe leaves are rapidly heated and stirred in a wok, ensuring even exposure to high temperatures. This method not only halts oxidation but also develops the characteristic toasty aroma unique to pan-fired green tea.
SteamingHigh-temperature steam quickly penetrates the leaf surface, deactivating enzymes almost instantly. This approach preserves the tea's pure, grassy freshness, a hallmark of steamed green teas like those from Japan.
Rolling｜Shaping Tea, Releasing Flavor
Using the warmth and sensitivity of the hands, the leaves are rhythmically pressed, rolled, and shaped. This traditional method allows for subtle adjustments in pressure, giving the tea an organic and lively form.
Fermentation: Nature's Flavor Lab
Think of tea as ingredients in a lab. Oxidation—a reaction involving enzymes or microbes—is the experiment that creates Black tea's redness, Oolong's aroma, and Dark tea's depth.
Drying｜The Craft of Sealing Time
When the last trace of moisture disappears, the leaf completes its final transformation from fresh leaf to finished tea. This step may seem simple, yet it is the key to preserving quality—allowing a single leaf to transcend time and become a preserved memory of the landscape, ready to be awakened in your cup.
