How are oolong teas actually processed (specifically in the Phoenix area around Chaozhou)? How much skill, time and technology does a freshly picked leaf need to become a great tea? That’s what I want to show you today 🙂
The process of semi-machine processing of oolong phoenix tea:
- Hand picking is the key – pick the 5 freshest medium-sized leaves with the stem,
- from the hill, it first travels down to a small factory for a light wilt (on air screens),
- in a rotating bamboo tube it gets slightly damaged (for at least an hour),
- in the second tube (now rather static) it is left to wilt for another 6 hours,
- then partially dried in a paddle wood/charcoal dryer,
- further into the roller, where it is spun, twisted and much damaged to the structure of the sheet,
- followed by a sheet separating machine (in our case a mechanical separator),
- finally, drying in the oven…
Then all that’s left to do is „just“ roast the tea properly – depending on the type of Phoenix (Honey Orchid, Duck Droppings, Scent of Gardenia, Eight Immortals, …) a light or stronger roast is chosen and that alone is an art that takes years to learn…
Our video directly from the malo-tea production:
