The diagram illustrates the process of the production of Pu-erh raw tea and ripe tea by comparing both types of tea. Overall, it is clear that both types share identical preliminary steps, beginning with enzyme inactivation and drying. However, the processes diverge afterwards: raw tea undergoes compression and long-term storage, while ripe tea is produced through fermentation before being compressed.
Regarding Vintage Pu-erh Raw tea, raw leaves start with frying leaves in a pan for deactivating enzymes, preventing premature oxidation. Then, raw leaves are rolled and bathed under sunlight to lose moisture for better preservation. After being dried naturally, they are converted into loose raw tea leaves prior to being compressed to become Pu-erh Raw tea. Lastly, Raw Tea leaves are stored for aging in storage, becoming Vintage Pu-erh Raw tea.
As can be seen in creating the aforementioned raw tea, the initial leaves are processed to turn into loose raw tea. Only by using the fermentation method by molding leaves can the raw tea be transformed into ripe tea. Following this, loose ripe tea is compressed to become Pu-erh Ripe tea. Thus, while both teas originate from the same base, the key distinction lies in fermentation versus natural aging, which determines their final characteristics.