Oriental Beauty Tea is highly popular due to its pesticide-free cultivation and unique, pure production process. Many tea enthusiasts are interested in how Oriental Beauty Tea is made. Here is a detailed explanation of our production process for your reference.
Production Process of Oriental Beauty Tea
Picking: The picking season is from May to August. Only tea leaves that have been bitten by the tea green leafhopper (Jacobiasca formosana) and have sprouted within 14 days are harvested. The bitten leaves exhibit curled and withered appearances and emit a sweet fragrance after processing. The more severe the insect bites, the higher the quality of the resulting tea. Because the leaves are small, machine harvesting is not feasible. Harvesting is done only on sunny days, not on rainy days.
Withering: Unlike other oolong teas, Oriental Beauty Tea must avoid withering under strong light. It is best to wither the leaves using sunset sunlight or indoor withering to prevent the loss of sweetness.
Turning: During the withering process, the leaves must be turned periodically to ensure even fermentation and promote the development of sweetness. The first two turns take about 3 minutes each and are done by hand. The final turn lasts 20 minutes and is done using a machine.
Rolling: The withered tea leaves are wrapped in cloth and rolled to squeeze out moisture and shape the tea leaves. The cloth is tightened progressively to expel more moisture, and the leaves are left to rest, enhancing sweetness and shaping the tea. After about an hour, the cloth can be opened. If the leaves have been adequately bitten by the leafhoppers, the white tips, known as “Bai Hao,” will be visible and very attractive.
Drying: The rolled tea leaves are placed in a drying machine at a temperature of about 80 degrees Celsius. The drying process takes approximately 3 hours. Top-quality Oriental Beauty Tea should have distinct “Bai Hao” (white tips) and “Hong Ye” (red leaves), which are crucial indicators for consumers when selecting high-quality Oriental Beauty Tea.
