Green Tea Fundamentals Pt 3: Processing, Rolling and Drying

This article is a continuation of our intro to green tea processing methods. The focus is rolling and drying – the last steps before the tea is finished and ready to drink. Click the links below to view our previous articles!

The endless variations in green tea arise from four fundamental elements:

  1. Region and Plant Variety
  2. Harvest Season
  3. Processing Method
  4. Brewing Method

Rolling

After fermentation is stopped and the tea is allowed to cool, rolling comes next in the green tea processing method. Rolling is straightforward in concept: the leaves are rolled either by machine or by hand.

Mountain Green Tips (Mao Feng) Rolling Machine
Mountain Green Tips (Mao Feng) Rolling Machine

You might ask, why roll tea leaves? There are a couple of answers to that question:

  1. The purpose of rolling is to break down the tea leaves’ cell walls enough to have some inner compounds interact with the air. This process increases flavor and aroma.

2. Rolling also allows the leaves to be shaped. For example, different rolling techniques create Mao Feng‘s special twisted shape, and Gyokuro and Sencha‘s straight needle shape.

The pressure and friction of rolling removes moisture from the leaves. The released moisture, a kind of leaf juice, makes the leaves stick together. After rolling, the clumps of tea leaves must be separated before moving on to the drying stage.

Drying

Drying, by gently applying heat, reduces the moisture content of the tea leaves to less than 5%. This finalizes the tea, locking in fragrance and flavor, and allowing the leaves to be stored at room temperature.

Heated Drying Equipment

Most green teas are dried in special machines that can be set to a particular temperature. There may be multiple drying steps, at different temperatures.

For example, Mountain Green Tips (Mao Feng Green) goes through two drying steps using electric drying machines, and must be cooled and allowed to rest before the second drying is begun.

Dragon Well Green Tea: Pan Rolled & Dried

Dragon Well is processed in a unique way: only one piece of equipment is used, from stopping fermentation (pan firing) through the final drying step. That traditional tool is an iron wok.

Our Dragon Well Green Tea Facility

To make Dragon Well tea, the wok must be heated and cooled at precise times throughout the process. The tea is heated, allowed to cool and rest, and then heated again.

Trainees take 3-5 years to learn these steps before becoming novice Dragon Well tea masters. Ten different hand techniques are required, including crushing, tossing, and separating the leaves. Their hands become used to the heat of the wok, and they developed the “iron palm” of an experienced tea maker.

During these steps, the tea leaves are pressed into the hot pan, creating the distinctive flat Dragon Well leaf shape, which is described as blade-like.

Matcha: Exception to the Rule

Matcha Green Tea Powder
Matcha Green Tea Powder

The rolling and drying process described above applies to almost all green tea. Matcha, however, is unique. After fermentation is stopped by applying steam, there is no rolling stage. Instead, the tea leaves are simply dried as-is.

Drying without rolling creates a tea called tencha in Japanese. The leaves are very flat and brittle. This makes it easier to remove the leaf veins and stems, after which the tencha is ground into the fine green tea powder we know as matcha.

The Finished Green Tea

Once kill green, rolling, and drying are complete, the tea is ready to brew. However, the tea may not be completely finished yet. There is often a flavor in newly-made tea that is described as “fire flavor,” left from the heat of processing. After a few weeks, the fire flavor fades and the tea reaches its final, completed form.

Dragon Well Green Tea Leaves and Liquid: Limited Edition
A refreshing cup of Dragon Well green tea

Thank you for reading! The next article in the Green Tea Fundamentals series will be about brewing methods for delicious green tea. Until then, happy sipping!

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