Introduction
The production process of Longjing tea is a classic inheritance of Hangzhou tea culture, embodying profound historical heritage and exquisite craftsmanship.
HarvestingHarvesting Time
Generally, it takes place before the Qingming Festival or the Grain Rain. At this time, the new shoots of the tea tree are just emerging, and the leaves are tender, which is the best raw material for making high-quality Longjing tea.
Harvesting Standards
Mostly, the tender new shoots that have just sprouted are selected, usually one bud and two leaves, and the bud should be more than 2.5 centimeters long. The fresh leaves are required to be tender and even.
SpreadingPurpose
To allow a part of the water in the fresh leaves to evaporate, soften the leaves for the subsequent fixation, and at the same time, dissipate some of the grassy smell and enhance the tea aroma.
Operation
The freshly picked leaves are evenly spread on a bamboo tray or other well-ventilated utensils, and the spreading time is generally 6 to 8 hours.
FixationPurpose
Through high-temperature treatment, the enzyme activity in the tea leaves is reduced, thereby fixing the quality and aroma of the tea, maintaining the clear soup, green leaves and emerald green color of green tea, and preliminarily shaping the tea leaves.
Operation
It is carried out in a wok at a high temperature of about 200 degrees. About 3 taels of fresh leaves are processed at a time, which takes about 17 or 18 minutes. Through techniques such as tossing, spreading, shaking, throwing and pressing, the water is evaporated and the enzyme activity is killed.
Moisture RegainPurpose
To make the moisture in the tea leaves after fixation redistribute evenly, restore a certain degree of softness, and facilitate the subsequent roasting process.
Operation
The tea leaves after fixation need to be naturally regained for about 3 hours.
RoastingPurpose
To further dry and shape the tea, remove the excess moisture, make the tea leaves more flat and smooth, and achieve the best quality and aroma.
Operation
The tea leaves after moisture regain are put into the wok again for roasting. The temperature is about 100 degrees, and the time is about 15 minutes. The techniques should be adjusted according to the amount of moisture. The main techniques include grasping, buckling, grinding, pressing and pushing. The key is to keep the hands on the tea and the tea in the wok. Stir-fry until the hairs fall off, the tea aroma is released, and the tea breaks easily when folded.
Subsequent Processes such as Screening, Shaping, Sorting and AshingScreening
The dried tea after roasting needs to be screened to pick out the unevenly sized, foamy and old leaves, making the tea strips more uniform and beautiful.
Shaping
To shape some tea leaves with less ideal shapes to make them more straight and beautiful.
Sorting
Sort the tea leaves with similar quality into one pile for the convenience of subsequent packaging and sales.
Ashing
The last step in traditional production. Put the tea leaves and lumps of quicklime into a wooden box in a certain proportion and seal it for 2 to 3 days, which can make the tea aroma better and easier to preserve.