The diagram shows the production process of Pu-erh tea, which can be classified into two types: raw tea and ripe tea. The process involves several stages, including rolling, drying, fermentation, and aging, with slight variations for each type.
Overall, both types of Pu-erh tea go through similar initial steps, such as rolling, frying, and drying. However, raw tea undergoes aging, while ripe tea requires fermentation by mold, leading to differences in their final form.
The process starts with fresh tea leaves being rolled and pan-fried to inactivate enzymes. The leaves are then dried under the sun, creating loose raw tea. For raw tea, the loose form is compressed to produce Pu-erh raw tea, which is further aged through storage to become vintage Pu-erh raw tea.
In contrast, ripe tea takes an additional step. After drying, the loose raw tea is fermented by mold, resulting in loose ripe tea. This tea is then compressed to form Pu-erh ripe tea, which does not require aging, making it distinct from the raw variety.