The formation of tea from the leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis involves the following steps:
Harvest: The leaves of the tea plant are usually collected in spring and summer. The harvested leaves are an important factor affecting the quality of tea.
Fading: The harvested leaves are left to fade by contact with air. In this process, the leaves lose their moisture and lose their elasticity.
Curling: After the fading process, the leaves are curled by hand or machine. This process allows the leaf cells to break down and reveals the aroma of tea.
Oxidation: Curled leaves undergo oxidation by coming into contact with oxygen. This process causes the darkening of the color of the leaves and the formation of the characteristic taste and aroma of tea. The oxidation time varies according to various types of tea.
Drying: After the oxidation process is completed, the leaves are subjected to the drying process. This process increases the durability and shelf life of tea by taking the moisture of the leaves.
Classification: Dried leaves are classified according to their size, quality and leaf type. At this stage, tea is divided into different types of tea, such as black tea, green tea, oolong tea or white tea.
Packaging: The classified tea is packaged and presented to the consumer. At this stage, the packaging and shape of the tea may change according to the manufacturer's preferences and Sunday demands.
Each of these steps determines the quality and characteristic characteristics of the tea. Different types of tea have various tastes and aromas using different combinations of these steps.