The Processing of Loose Raw Pu-erh Tea

Raw Pu'er tea is made from fresh leaves of the Yunnan large-leaf tea trees that grow in the environment conditions suitable for Pu'er tea production. It is processed into sun-dried green tea through processes like fixing (sha qing), rolling, and sun-drying, or further steamed and pressed into compressed tea. Its quality characteristics are: dark green appearance, clean and lasting aroma, rich taste with a sweet aftertaste, green-yellow and bright liquor, and thick yellow-green infused leaves.

The processing steps for loose raw Pu'er tea that has not undergone compression are generally as follows:

Picking
Hand-picked with one bud and two or three leaves. The leaves are withered and spread out to cool in a ventilated, sunless, and dry area, placed on bamboo mats. The time depends on the moisture content of the fresh leaves and the temperature and humidity at the time, generally more than half an hour.

Fixing (Sha Qing)
High-temperature quick fixing removes grassy flavors, evaporates some water, and facilitates shaping during rolling.

Rolling
This can be done by machine or by hand. The tea leaf cell walls are broken, allowing the tea juices to dissolve easily into the tea liquor during brewing, improving extraction rates, and shaping the leaves into strips.

Sun-drying
The rolled tea leaves are naturally sun-dried under sunlight, preserving the organic compounds and active substances in the tea to the greatest extent. Sun-dried green tea retains the essence and original flavor of the tea leaves.

The following are the subsequent processing steps for compressed raw Pu'er tea (e.g., tea cakes, Tuocha, etc.):

Molding
The sun-dried raw tea undergoes refinement processes such as sifting and cutting to create raw materials for various forms of compressed tea.

Higher-grade young leaves are not used for compressed tea. Generally, grades 1–3 are sold as loose tea, grades 5–9 are pressed into cakes, and grades below 9 are made into brick tea.

Steaming and Pressing
The prepared tea materials are softened with steam, then pressed into different shapes using various molds.

Drying
Dried in drying rooms at low temperatures. Generally, Pu'er tea requires a moisture content of less than 10%.