Picking and Processing of Xiao Zhong Black Tea
Xiao Zhong black tea is typically harvested in early May, picking one bud and one leaf, or one bud and two to three leaves.
The production process of Xiao Zhong black tea includes:
Withering: Mainly consists of indoor heated withering and sunlight withering.
a. Indoor heated withering: Heated withering takes place in specialized "qing" rooms, also known as "withering rooms." It's a three-story building with upper, middle, and lower floors. The ground floor has no flooring and is used for fire-making. The middle and upper floors have wooden beams with bamboo mats laid across them, where fresh leaves are placed. Hanging racks are installed 30cm below the middle floor's beams, with water sieves for smoking the leaves. Pine wood chips are burned on the ground floor in a "T" shape arrangement. Room temperature is maintained at 20-30°C. Fresh leaves are spread evenly on bamboo mats, 3cm thick (about 2.5kg per square meter), and turned every 20 minutes.
b. Sunlight withering: Withering racks are set up in sunny areas near the primary processing factory, with wooden boards and bamboo mats laid on top. Fresh leaves are evenly spread on the mats about 3cm thick, turned every 10-20 minutes. After 2-3 turns, when leaves become soft and lose their shine, withering is complete.
Rolling: After appropriate withering and cooling, leaves are placed in rolling machines, 10-13kg per barrel. Rolling speed follows "slow-fast-slow" rhythm, pressure follows "light-heavy-light" pattern. Leaves are broken up once during the process. Rolling takes about 30 minutes until leaves are twisted into strips, juice is released, and 80% of leaf surface is broken.
Oxidation: Properly rolled leaves are placed in bamboo baskets with a hole in the center for ventilation, covered with damp cloth, and kept in withering rooms or near stoves. Leaf temperature is maintained at 28-30°C. After 4-5 hours, when grassy smell disappears and tea fragrance emerges, and most leaves turn reddish-brown, oxidation is complete.
Pan-firing: This unique process for Xiao zhong black tea promotes oxidation, removes grassy smell, enhances aroma, and stops oxidation while preserving soluble substances, resulting in fuller taste, bright liquor, and even leaf appearance. Oxidized leaves are placed in iron woks heated to 180-200°C, 1500-2000g at a time, quickly stir-fried and covered. Young leaves need more tossing and less covering, older leaves vice versa, for 2-3 minutes until leaves are soft and surface shows moisture.
Re-rolling: After pan-firing, leaves are immediately re-rolled while hot for about 10 minutes to improve strip shape and increase brew concentration, then separated and dried.
Drying: Besides drying, this process also imparts pine smoke flavor. Re-rolled leaves are spread 3cm thick on water sieves, placed at an angle on hanging racks. Pine wood chips, preferably with high resin content and 60-70% dryness, are burned below.
Initial drying temperature should be high to set the shape and prevent over-oxidation. After 3 hours, heat is reduced but smoke increased to allow leaves to absorb more smoke flavor, creating Xiao Zhong black tea's characteristic dense pine smoke aroma.
Drying takes about 12 hours total. Leaves are ready when they can be crushed to powder by hand and moisture content is around 8%.