GREEN TEA

 The majority of tea production occurs in the subtropical areas of Asia, including
China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Indonesia. More than 35 countries now produce
tea, with India, China, and Sri Lanka the leaders.
 Black tea is the most produced, followed by oolong and jasmine tea.

 Besides the distinction between varieties of tea, the major difference between the
type of teas is the processing method.

 Green tea leaves are picked and immediately sent to be dried or steamed to prevent
fermentation, whereas black tea and other types are left to ferment after they are
picked.

 Green tea is made from the top two leaves and buds of a shrub, Camellia sinensis,
of the family Theaceace and the order Theales. This order consists of 40 genera of
trees or shrubs that have evergreen leaves, flowers with five sepal or leaf-like
structures and petals. The genus Camellia consists of 80 species of East Asian
evergreen shrubs and trees. Besides the leaves, other ingredients may be added to
create special scents or flavors during the drying process, such as jasmine, flowers,
or fruits.

The tea plant originates in an area between India and China. There are three main
varieties of this plant—China, Assam, and Cambodia—and a number of hybrids in
between. The China variety grows as high as 9 ft (2.7 m) and has an economic life of
at least 100 years. The Assam variety is a tree that grows as high as 60 ft (18.3 m),
with an economic life of 40 years dependent upon regular pruning and plucking. The
16 ft (4.9 m) high Cambodia variety is naturally crossed with other varieties.

PROCESS MAKING

Cultivation and harvesting

1. A suitable climate for cultivation has a minimum annual rainfall of 45-50 in (114.3-
127 cm). Tea soils must be acid since tea plants will not grow in alkaline soils. A
desirable pH value is 5.8-5.4 or less. Tea can be cultivated up to 7,218.2 ft (2,200
m) above sea level and can grow between the equator and the forty-fifth latitude.
 The plants are reproduced through tile-laying or through seeds from trees that
have grown freely.

2. A crop of 1,500 lb (681 kg) of tea per acre requires up to two workers per acre to
pluck the tea shoots by hand and maintain the field. The tea plant is generally
plucked every five to 10 days, depending on where it grows. The length of time
needed for the plucked shoot to redevelop a new shoot ready for plucking varies
according to the plucking system and the climatic conditions. Intervals of between
70-90 days are common.

3. In Japan, the tea harvesting begins around the end of April, with the leaves picked
by hand or machine. A bud and several leaves are picked from each plant. The
 first crop is harvested in April and May, the second crop in June, the third crop in
July and the final crop in September. For gyokuro or matcha tea, the plants are
shaded for two weeks after the first bud comes out in spring before picking. The
leaves are then shipped to the factory for processing. Since not all can be
processed at once, the leaves are stored in a large bin that is kept at the proper
temperature by blowing cool air into the bottom.

Drying

Withering leaves on racks of bamboo green teas are pan-fired in very large woks

4. After the tea leaves are plucked, they must be dried to prevent fermentation, which
stops any enzyme activity that causes oxidation. In China, green teas are often
pan-fired in very large woks, over a flame or using an electric wok. The tea leaves
must be stirred constantly for even drying. Withering is also used, which spreads
the tea leaves on racks of bamboo or woven straw to dry in the sun or using warm
air. Again, the leaves must be moved around to ensure uniform drying.

5. In Japan, steaming is normally used. Before the steaming process begins, the tea
leaves are sorted and cleaned. The steaming time determines the type of tea that is
produced. Sencha tea is normally steamed for 30-90 seconds. Another type of
sencha called fukamushi is steamed for 90-150 seconds to produce a flaky light
yellowish green tea. Steaming is conducted in a bamboo tray over water or by a
revolving or belt-conveyor type machine. After mechanical steaming, the leaves
go into a cooling machine that blows the water from the leaves.
Shaping

6. In most countries, rolling or shaping green tea leaves is done by machinery. In

China, high-end leaves are hand-rolled into various shapes, including curly,
twisted, pointed, round, and more. Rolling the tea creates a distinctive look, as
well as regulates the release of natural substances and flavor when it is steeped in
the cup.

7. In Japan, a number of rolling and drying steps take place. A special machine is used
to accomplish the first rolling and drying steps simultaneously and takes about 48
minutes. The tea leaves are dried to improve their strength so they can be pressed
during the next drying process. Moisture from both the surface and from the inside
of the tea leaves is removed using this machine.

8. This machine consists of a spindle with finger-shaped extensions that stir the leaves
while heated air (at 93.2-96.8° F [34-36° C]) is blown into the machine. Though
the rolling temperature is automatically controlled by the computer, it is still
important for the operator to touch the tea by hand to make sure it feels right.
Once harvested, the tea leaves are dried in order to prevent fermentation. In China,
pan firing is used. In Japan, the leaves are steam dried. The dried leaves are then
shaped or rolled in order to regulate the release of natural substances and flavor when
it is steeped in the cup, as well as create a uniformly rounded leaf. In Japan, the tea is
dried once more to reduce its moisture content to about 5% before packaging.

9. Since the moisture level still varies for different parts of a leaf or from one leaf to
another at the end of the first step, another rolling process takes place to uniformly
distribute the remaining moisture in the leaves. This process rolls the leaves by
pressing under a rotating disk to bring the moisture from the center of the leaves
to the surface. The process is conducted at room temperature for 24 minutes.

10. Next, the leaves go to another rolling/drying machine, which uses a spinning pedal
inside of a revolving drum to convert the leaves into a round shape. This process
takes about 40 minutes. It is very important to take out the leaves at the same
moisture level every time.

11. The tea leaves are removed from the previous machine, separated into small
portions and placed in pots. They are gradually rolled into tiny round or needle
shapes using a weight. This step takes 40 minutes and removes most of the
moisture. The total process thus far takes about three hours compared to hand
rolling and heating which can take up to 10 hours.
Final drying

12. In Japan, green tea must be dried for about 30 minutes after the final rolling step
for storage. The tea is spread on a caterpillar-type device and dried slowly to
about 5% moisture content or less. At this stage the half-processed tea, called
aracha, is shipped to tea merchants or wholesalers for final processing. Aracha is
not uniform in size and still contains stems and dust.

Post-processing

13. After the tea is shipped to the wholesalers in Japan, it undergoes several other
steps to produce the final product. A special machine grades and cuts the tea by
particle size, shape, and cleanliness, depending on the final qualities desired. The
machine uses mechanical sieves or sifters fitted with meshes of appropriate size,
as well as cutting devices to achieve a quality tea. Another drying step follows to
produce the aromatic flavor, followed by blending per customer's specifications,
packing and finally shipping to retail shops. In other countries, similar sorting,
weighing, and packaging steps occur after the shaping process.