How Oolong Tea Is Made: Zhangping Shui Xian

In this video we follow a single batch of Zhangping Shui Xian tea from picking to drinking, to document how this unique oolong is made. For a brief explanation of each processing step, see below. Special thanks to farmer Wang for letting us film this process. You can try his tea here: https://pastleaf.com/products/charcoa... Explanation of each processing step: Step 1: Picking Tea is picked in early morning after dew evaporates. While picking standards vary between regions and varietals, oolongs mostly require mature leaves and no buds. Step 2: Sun-withering Spreading the leaves under sunlight starts to evaporate moisture. After this step, the leaves will be soft and pliable enough for further processing. Step 3: Indoor withering After sun withering, the leaves are brought indoors to cool down. During this step, moisture spreads from the stems to the veins of the leaves. Step 4: Machine shaking Shaking the leaves is key to developing aroma in oolong tea. This works by triggering enzymatic reactions within the leaves. Shaking combines machine and hand techniques. The first shaking is done in this tumbler machine. Later the leaves will be shaken by hand on a bamboo mat. Step 5: Hand shaking Arguably the most important and labor intensive step of oolong processing, hand shaking bruises the outer edges of the leaves, triggering oxidation and developing aroma. In traditional processing the tea producer has to stay up all night to complete this step, because the leaves have to be shaken multiple times with periods of rest in between. After this step, the oxidation will be visible in the form of red edges along the leaves. In Chinese this is called 'green leaf, red edge.' When the leaves have reached the desired amount of oxidation, they will be heated to deactivate the enzymes. Step 6: Sha qing (kill-green) In the early hours of the next morning the leaves have reached the desired level of enzymatic oxidation. The next step is to fix this level of oxidation by denaturing the enzymes using heat. This is called sha qing (kill-green). Once upon a time this was done on woks. Nowadays this is almost always done with heated tumblers. Step 7: Rolling After sha qing, the leaves are rolled, releasing juices from the inside of the leaves to the outside. The speed and amount of rolling depends on the type of tea. These rolling machines can be calibrated accordingly. Step 8: Sorting In this step, mature yellow leaves are sorted out to maintain a consistent taste. Excess stems may also be removed, depending on the preferences of the producer. To remove stems, the workers use small blades tied to their fingers. Step 9: Pressing Ordinarily, oolong tea should never be pressed. Zhangping Shui Xian is the only oolong where pressing is part of traditional processing. Unlike other forms of pressing like for puerh tea, the leaves are not steamed. The leaves are still moist from the rolling step and have not yet been dried. Using this residual moisture, the workers press the leaves by hand into wooden moulds. Then these small cakes are wrapped in paper and weighed. Before drying, these cakes should weigh about 15-17 grams each. After drying, the cakes will weigh about 8-10 grams. Step 10: Drying and Roasting The drying process removes remaining moisture until the tea is shelf stable and ready to drink. After drying, the tea may be additionally roasted. Nowadays there are multiple drying and roasting methods available, from charcoal stoves, to electric ovens, to hybrid ovens that combine charcoal heating with electrical temperature control. Traditionally, Zhangping Shui Xian is only dried and not roasted. Today there are roasted versions available, ranging from light roasts to fuller roasts. All drying and roasting occurs after the tea cakes are wrapped in paper. Step 11: Tasting To ensure quality, the producer will taste each batch after it is made, and sometimes before the tea has been pressed and dried.