After rolling and cloth-ball kneading, the tea leaves undergo the drying process. The purpose of drying is to deactivate enzyme activity, completely halting fermentation and oxidation to keep the tea’s quality stable. Nowadays, large-scale tea dryers are commonly used. By passing through the dryer 2 to 3 times, the moisture content is reduced to 3% to 5%. Tea that has completed this drying process is known as raw tea (maocha).
As the tea leaves are conveyed through the large dryer, producers also perform sorting at this stage. This includes removing old leaves, impurities, and prominent stems to make the tea’s quality more consistent and stable.
Reaching the raw tea stage marks the completion of the tea-making process, meaning it only needs packaging before reaching consumers. However, to further enhance quality, producers sometimes add subsequent steps, such as firing and stem sorting, to help elevate the flavor profile of the tea.