Oolong Tea Production

Ever wondered HOW tea gets from bush to package?

There’s a complex sequence of events which varies  depending on the product.

GREEN TEA (Not Fermented)

1. 40-45 days after trimming
2. Pick fresh shoots – 1 shoot & 2 leaves
3. Air dry them in the shade for 8 hours
4. Turn them over every 2 hours
5. Put them in a heating machine at 280-300 Celsius, allowing 5 minutes for every 8 kgs
6. Remove from the heating machine & rub them until they become thin strips
7. Put them in a roasting machine 3 times, for 30 minutes each time at 180-200 Celsius.
8. Grade them after roasting, then roast one more time for 30 minutes.
9. Pack for sale.

Akha ladies picking tea – Wet Season 2010 – Doi Mae Salong

RED TEA (100% Fermented)

Procedures 1-4 identical to the Green Tea process above.

• Rub the tea leaves for 10 minutes.
• Soak a piece of cloth, big enough for 8 kgs of tea leaves) in water, then expel the water until the cloth is merely damp.
• Then use it to wrap 8 kgs of tea leaves for 1 hour.
• Unwrap the cloth and look at the colour of the tea leaves, & shake the cloth to cool the leaves.
• If the cloth is too dry, sprinkle some water on it, then rewrap the cloth. Repeat this process until the leaves turn red.
• Then roast the tea leaves 3-4 times.

OOLONG TEA (20-30% Fermented)

• After trimming for 40-45 days (Rainy season & summer), 70 days winter.
• Pick fresh shoots ( 1 shoot 2 leaves.)
• Dry them in the sun, not so strong sunlight, for 20-30 minutes.
• Air dry them in hand made bamboo woven trays in door for 2 hours.
• Turn them over once every 2 hours. Repeat this process 3 times.
• Pile them up to a height of 30cms for about 1or 2 hours, until the aroma required is achieved.
• Put them in a heating machine only once.

• Rub them.
• Wrap them with a piece of cloth.
• Put them in a folding machine & let the machine work 10-20 times.

• Roast them.
• Grade them.
• Pack them.

A trip to Doi Mae Salong is a tea-lovers treasure trove of brews and blends and tasting sessions!