The leaves are almost always “rolled,” or
pressed to break down the tissue
structure and release the cell fluids. If the
leaves are rolled while they’re still raw,
this allows the leaf enzymes and oxygen
to transform the cell fluids and generate
additional flavor, color, and body.
The leaves may be heated to inactivate
their enzymes and stop the enzymatic
production of flavor and color. High dry
heat will also generate flavor.
The leaves are heated to dry them out and
preserve them for long keeping.
The dry leaves are sieved and graded by
piece size, which ranges from whole
leaves to “dust.” The smaller the piece,
the faster the extraction of color and
flavor.Major Tea Styles The Chinese developed a
half-dozen different styles of tea. Three of
them account for most of the tea consumed in