Six Main Processing Techniques of Dancong

The production of Dan Cong tea generally involves six steps: picking, withering, fermentation, fixation, rolling, and drying. Each step has its own nuances and significantly impacts the quality of the final tea. Below is a simplified introduction to the production steps of Dan Cong tea, as summarized from the writings of Dan Cong tea experts Ye Hanzhong(叶汉钟) and Huang Baizi(黄柏梓).

1. Picking

Picking, as the name suggests, is the process of harvesting fresh tea leaves, which are the sole raw material used for tea production. The quality of fresh leaves directly affects the quality of the finished tea.

Like most teas, Dan Cong primarily uses young leaves because they contain higher levels of tea polyphenols, amino acids, and alkaloids compared to older leaves, making them more suitable for tea production. For this reason, Dan Cong is generally harvested in the spring, particularly the slow-growing high-mountain tea, which is picked only in the spring. In contrast, tea plants grown at lower altitudes and with faster growth rates may be harvested multiple times a year.

Although spring is the main harvest season, the specific timing differs depending on the tea cultivar. For instance, Baiye Dan Cong is picked before the Qingming Festival; Zhilan, Jasmine, and Rougui are picked after the Qingming Festival; Osmanthus and Yulan are harvested after the Grain Rain period; and Huang Zhixiang, Baxian, and Zhilan are picked around the Beginning of Summer. Depending on the harvest time, Dan Cong is further classified into spring tea, summer tea, and winter tea. The Xue Pian(雪片) often mentioned refers to winter tea.

Since Dan Cong comes from arbor-type tea trees that often grow to heights of three to four meters or even nearly ten meters, tall tea trees may require ladders for harvesting. The process relies on manual picking, and the technique is especially critical. It involves pinching and gently bending the stem upward to pluck the new bud without damaging the leaves or branches, a method known as the "single-handed horseback-style picking technique." This technique, also advocated by Lu Yu(陆羽), the "Tea Sage," is a refined picking method. **Manual picking also increases the production cost of Dan Cong tea**, making it significantly more expensive than bush-type oolong tea, which can be machine-harvested.

The ideal picking time is after the morning dew has dried and before sunset, with the best hours typically between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., as this allows sufficient time for sunlight withering. There are also times when tea leaves are not picked, as expressed in the adage passed down by experienced tea farmers: "Don’t pick in the morning, don’t pick under harsh midday sun, don’t pick in the evening, and don’t pick on rainy days." Fresh leaves picked at different times of the day have different labels: leaves picked before 10 a.m. are called "morning green," leaves picked between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. are "late morning green," leaves picked between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. are "afternoon green," and leaves picked after 4 p.m. are "evening green." In terms of quality, "afternoon green" is the best, followed by "late morning green," then "evening green," with "morning green" being the worst.

The selection of young leaves is critical, with the best time to pick being when the new buds have opened into two or three leaves—the so-called **“open-faced picking.”** Tea made from such leaves has a high aroma and a mellow taste. Leaves that are too young have low aroma and are overly strong and astringent, while leaves that are too old result in weak aroma, flat taste, and coarse appearance.

Thus, the selection of young leaves for high-quality Dan Cong tea is extremely rigorous.

2. Withering

Withering involves two steps: sun withering and indoor withering. Sun withering, as the name implies, involves exposing the fresh leaves to sunlight. This step reduces water content, softens the leaves, volatilizes the grassy aroma, raises the leaf temperature, activates polyphenol oxidase, and triggers a series of physical and chemical reactions, such as photochemical reactions and the breakdown of catechins, while increasing amino acids and soluble sugars.

These processes lay the foundation for the tea's color, aroma, and taste, hence the tea farmers' saying, “Sunlight adds fragrance.” After sun withering, the tea leaves are moved indoors to a ventilated area for indoor withering, where they release heat, lower in temperature, and lose more moisture.

Although these steps may seem simple, they require expertise to master. For example, spring tea has different moisture content compared to summer or winter tea, so the duration of sun withering needs to be adjusted accordingly. Since sun withering depends on sunlight, it cannot be standardized. If sun withering is insufficient, the indoor withering time must be extended; if sun withering is excessive, water must be sprayed to adjust the moisture level.

3. Fermentation (Making Green)

After withering, tea leaves undergo fermentation, a step that generally includes tossing (浪青), shaking(摇青), and resting.

Tossing, also called langqing, involves gently shaking the tea leaves by hand, while shaking involves moving the leaves in a circular motion on a sieve. Both steps aim to cause the leaves to rub against one another. Since the epidermis of Dan Cong tea leaves is relatively delicate, tossing damages the leaf edges and activates enzymes, promoting the release, polymerization, and fermentation of polyphenols. This process releases aromatic compounds and produces a strong floral fragrance. The edges of the leaves oxidize and turn red, while catechins are transformed into theaflavins and thearubigins, reducing bitterness, enhancing the brightness of the tea liquor, and creating a fresh, smooth taste. Ideally, this step results in leaf edges with a red outline, translucent leaf veins, green leaf centers, and a natural floral fragrance. For example, Phoenix Shui Xian tea generally skips this step, resulting in no red edges, no floral aroma, and a lighter fermentation level.

 

Tossing and shaking are typically repeated multiple times. After each session, the tea leaves are allowed to rest to facilitate further moisture evaporation and internal cell activity. Once all green-making steps are completed, the leaves are left to rest for several hours to prepare for fixation.

This green-making process is the most skill-demanding step and requires the tea maker to “observe the leaves and make decisions accordingly.” Based on accumulated experience, they must balance the intensity and duration of the process. Phoenix locals believe evening green-making is better than daytime work due to higher night humidity, which aids in the return of moisture. As the saying goes, “Overnight tea is good tea.”This process demands not only extensive expertise but also strenuous effort.

4. Fixation

Once the tea leaves are fermented to the appropriate level, fixation is carried out to stop fermentation. Most Dan Cong tea uses frying as the fixation method, which involves stir-frying the leaves in a hot wok or drum. The high temperature reduces water content, volatilizes low-boiling grassy aromatic compounds, and promotes Maillard reactions that create roasted aromas. The tea leaves become tender and pliable, making them easier to roll.

While frying is the primary fixation method for Dan Cong, some, like those made by Ye Hanzhong(叶汉钟), use steaming as a more gentle fixation technique. This preserves more low-boiling aromatic compounds and produces a different final fragrance profile.

5. Rolling

Rolling is a critical step in shaping Dan Cong tea. Dan Cong is often described as having “tight, compact strips,” a characteristic formed during rolling. Before machines became widespread, rolling was typically done by hand, or even with feet. Today, most rolling is performed by machines.

This step compresses the tea leaves, gradually rolling them into strips. The process also extracts leaf juice, which adheres evenly to the leaf surfaces, enhancing flavor. The ideal result is tightly curled, smooth, and uniformly shaped strips.

6. Drying

The final step is drying the tea leaves. Traditionally, charcoal roasting, also known as “carbon baking,” was used. Nowadays, electric stoves are also employed for drying. The goal of drying is to evaporate residual moisture to make the tea suitable for storage and prevent mold.

Traditional charcoal roasting requires experienced artisans to carefully select the right kind of charcoal and continuously monitor the roasting basket to avoid over-roasting, which could mask the tea’s natural aroma or even scorch it. A single batch typically requires around 10 hours of preparation and roasting.

Due to the labor-intensive nature of charcoal roasting, skilled artisans are becoming increasingly rare. To save costs, more mid- and low-end teas are dried using electric heating.

Compared to electric heating, which provides uniform results but can produce a slightly one-dimensional flavor, charcoal roasting yields more dynamic and complex aromas, adding a distinct roasted character.

7. Other Steps and Summary

Aside from the six main steps, additional processes, such as tea sorting, may be carried out to remove broken or fragmented leaves and ensure the integrity of the final product.

Currently, most steps in Dan Cong tea production, such as picking, withering, charcoal roasting, and sorting, are still done by hand. Personally, I do not believe manual production is inherently superior; on the contrary, I think standardization through machines often ensures better quality and consistency. That said, many current machines are yet to fully replicate certain manual processes, so most steps still rely on manual labor.

As many scholars have noted, Dan Cong tea preserves the most traditional and intricate techniques of oolong tea, stemming from its rich heritage.