Let’s Make Tea!

First we need to grow the tea plant…China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Indonesia (countries above the equator) grow 85 to 90 percent of the world’s tea supply

Then pick the plant…Tea is one of the only crops that is still picked by hand

Withering begins immediately after leaves are harvested…The withering causes the leaves to lose ¼ to ½ of their weight to become pliable and soft

Fermenting

• The tea becomes black, oolong, green or white teas depending on when the teas are crushed after withering and on how long the leaves are allowed to oxidized

• The longer the leaves are exposed to air the longer they are fermented

• During the fermentation, the leaves turn dark because chlorophyll breaks down

White teaNot fermented at all

Green TeaLightly Fermented

Oolong TeaSemi fermented

Black TeaFully fermented

Overview