What is the difference between Green Tea and Black Tea?
The difference between Green and Black Tea occurs during the processing of the tea leaves. Both types are normally hand plucked and then withered. Tea leaves are laid out and allowed to wilt for several hours. Withering reduces the moisture content in the leaves and prepares them for the next step, which is rolling. The rolling process is critical because it prepares the leaves for oxidation (fermentation) by rupturing the leaves and exposing enzymes to oxygen. Black tea gets its color and character as a result of the fermentation process. The term “ferment” has been used by the tea industry for years, but the process is more correctly defined as oxidation. The enzymes in the tea leaves are allowed to oxidize after rolling. Green tea, however, is not oxidized; the leaves are steamed or baked immediately after being plucked. They are then rolled and dried allowing the leaves to remain green in color. Both teas are then dried and sorted.
