The provided flow chart delineates two distinct techniques of producing black tea. At first glance, it is readily discernible that both methods comprise five main phases, beginning with collecting tea leaves and culminating with firing and drying.
The first step of the process is that fresh tea leaves are harvested manually, after which it is spread out in an even layer in metal troughs, and fans are used to pull and push air across the leaves. During this time, humidity is carefully monitored, as achieving the desired amount of moisture loss is essential to creating the desired flavour in the final tea. After the leaves wither, they can be treated by using either a traditional method or a modern one. Regarding the traditional method, the tea leaves are rolled flat and broken to create loose tea, which releases enzymes from the tea leaves. Meanwhile, the modern method is employed to produce tea bags and involves cutting, tearing, and curling the leaves to produce smaller granules more quickly.
In the following step, the tea leaves experience oxidation or fermentation. During this step, rolled leaves are spread on flat surfaces such as tiles or cement, which allow enzymes to react with air. As a result, the colour of the leaves changes to copper. Finally, the leaves are dried up in ovens or hot air dryers, causing a significant loss of moisture (97%). Also, flavour and aroma from the leaves are released.