meizitang

1. Leaves manipulating. Both the light-fragrant and luscious-fragrant oolong tea require drying in the sun. Since the light-fragrant oolong tea needs a less extent of manipulation, the fresh fragrance would be difficult to be found if it’s without drying in the sun. Relative to the traditional Anxi oolong tea, the light-fragran tie guan yin tea needs a moderate degree of drying work with a water-loss rate better of 8%-12%. Tea leaves generally need be dried and turned over for three times before off the machine and twice when off the machine with a temperature around 20-22℃ and a relative humidity of 70%.
2. Wrapping and kneading. In the wrapping and kneading technic of the light-fragrant oolong tea, everything centers on the main line of forming quickly while keeping fresh and green. The formed mung bean shape, compared with the dragonfly-head shape of the traditional Anxi tie guan yin tea, has a better look and a higher appreciation value.
3. Baking. Baking is the last procedure of making the oolong tea. Traditional Anxi dragon well tea also has a fire complement procedure, but it’s for making the tea dry. Baking the light-fragrant oolong tea with slow fire is to gather aroma in the finished tea to enhance the good smelling. People in Chaoshan and south Fujian prefer the caramel smelling in leaves, so should relatively lift the baking temperature and prolong the baking time. Wuyi Rock tea, the typical representative of the luscious-fragrant oolong tea, baking with both gross fire and enough fire. Gross fire requires rapid baking with a high temperature to promote the mellow taste and aroma. Enough fire means baking with slow fire for a continuous long time, which may not only remove water while keep fresh but also has a good effect on promoting mellow aroma and pure water color