Tea-making process-fermentation

Fermentation is an essential part of the tea-making process.
The six major teas seperate teas by processing,and the most obvious classification method is fermentation.

What is fermention?

The oxidation of enzymes in tea cells is called fermentation.

What is the process?

When we want to make fermented tea, we do it by the following steps:
1. After picking tea leaves, use withering to remove excess water and balance the osmotic pressure of the intercellular substance, which is conducive to the entry and exit of enzymes.
2. In the stage of reusing cyanidin, the water is gradually collected while frying the tea, and the temperature is raised to the temperature at which the enzyme can have the best activity.
3. The tea cells are further destroyed by rolling and twisting so that the enzymes are fully distributed among the tea leaves.
And according to different production needs, give different lengths of fermentation time.

What can fermention do to tea?

The factors that will be affected by fermentation are:
The color of tea
aroma
the taste.

Effect on color:

Excluding the elements of old tea.,the higher the degree of fermentation, the darker the tea and tea watercolor will apply.

Influence on aroma:

Also, exclude the elements of old tea. The higher the degree of fermentation. The aroma of tea will gradually become deep.
From no fermentation to whole fermentation, the order of aroma is:
leafy aroma (grass aroma)> floral aroma> honey aroma> fruity aroma> woody aroma.
Generally speaking, after a certain degree of fermentation, the aroma presented at a lower degree will gradually lose.
But in a tiny number of excellent teas, several different aromas can be compatible and harmonious at the same time.

Effect on taste:

The taste of non-fermented tea leaves is characterized by the umami taste of fresh tea leaves.
As fermentation increases, this characteristic will gradually be lost, and it cannot be restored by relying on superb technology.
In the presentation of lightly fermented tea leaves, attention is paid to whether the tea taste and aroma can be appropriately integrated and echo each other in the mouth.
As the degree of fermentation increases, the taste of the tea will become smoother.

It’s not only fermentation

Although we know that fermentation is a significant variable in making tea, the color, aroma, taste, and other tea factors also depend on the environmental conditions when the tea is grown.
Whether the process is correct during the production, and whether the tea maker has made any mistakes.