Green tea is the least processed of the major tea categories because the key goal is to prevent oxidation of the freshly plucked leaf. While specific steps vary by region and style, all green tea processing shares the fundamental step of applying heat early to deactivate the enzymes that would otherwise cause oxidation.
Key Steps
1. Withering (Optional)
Some green teas undergo a brief wither — a resting period that allows slight moisture loss and triggers subtle chemical changes. Japanese steamed greens typically skip this; many Chinese pan-fired greens use it.
2. Fixation (Kill-Green / Sha Qing)
The critical step. Heat is applied to deactivate polyphenol oxidase — the enzyme responsible for oxidation. Two main methods:
- Pan-firing (炒青, chaoqing): Leaves are tossed in a hot wok or drum. Produces drier, toastier, and more complex flavours. Used for Dragonwell (Longjing), Gunpowder, and most Chinese greens. See Sha Qing.
- Steaming (蒸青, zhengqing): A short burst of steam fixes the leaf. Produces greener, more vegetal, and umami-forward teas. The dominant method in Japan (sencha, gyokuro, matcha). See Panning vs Steaming.
3. Rolling / Shaping
Leaves are shaped while warm and pliable — rolled into needles (Xinyang Maojian), flat blades (Longjing), twisted strips (Bi Luo Chun), or pellets (Gunpowder). Rolling also expresses some juice, affecting extraction.
4. Drying
Final drying reduces moisture to 3–5% for stability. Methods include baking, tumbling, or sun-drying depending on the style.
Chinese vs Japanese Green Tea
The biggest distinction in green tea processing is Chinese (pan-fired) vs Japanese (steamed). Chinese greens tend toward nuttier, toastier flavours; Japanese greens toward grassier, more vegetal umami character. See Chinese Green Tea Types and Japanese Green Tea Types.
Related Terms
- Sha Qing: Kill-green heat fixation in depth
- Panning vs Steaming: The two main fixation methods compared
- Green Tea: The finished category
- Chinese Green Tea Types: Styles and examples