Steaming is the tea production process with the longest documented history, although surely not the oldest. The principal is simple: to cook the plucked leaves with steam as quickly and evenly as possible so as to stop any enzymatic activities in the leaves for …

Each green tea has a specific timed steaming process that varies depending on the growing condition of the tea, the region of cultivation, the elevation, etc. The timing determines most of the results of brewing tea and should be taken seriously for each type of green tea.

Jan 30, 2025 · Steaming: This is the process by which the tea leaves are steamed which tends to heat the tea leaves faster, in most cases taking only a minute or so to reach 150° F. This makes the tea grassier and more vegetal giving it that distinct Japanese umami flavor.

The steaming process is made just for crude green tea to eliminate the smell of green leaves, generate the aroma of green tea, inactivate enzymes and for easy use later during processing. Other types of teas, such as black tea and oolong tea, have fermentation methods or pan-fried methods to get the desired result and inactivate enzymes.

A hallmark of Japanese green tea is that the leaves undergo a steaming stage in leaf processing. Green tea steaming is essential in maintaining leaf quality and producing sought-after flavors, aromas, and color.

The first step for any kind of tea leaves is either steaming, fermenting, or roasting, depending on the kind. The steaming process is fixed for green tea, black tea leaves go through the fermentation process, and roasting is dedicated to oolong tea leaves.

Mar 21, 2025 · Once the tea leaves are harvested, producers will either steam or roast the Japanese tea leaves. 1. Steaming. Most Japanese tea leaves are steamed. It takes a high degree of expertise to determine the right temperature and steaming time that lasts just 10–60 seconds. The skill used greatly affects the flavor and aroma of the finished product.

Today, the majority of Japanese green tea is steamed. Advantages: Attractive "three greens": dried leaves, brewed liquor and brewed leaves. Disadvantages: May smell grassy and taste bitter. Today, roasting or pan-firing is the most popular firing method for Chinese green tea.

Jul 7, 2023 · We discuss all the processing steps from picking to steaming to rolling to sorting. For popular teas like Sencha, Gyokuro and Matcha learn what makes one tea different from the next and so tasty. Skip to content

The steaming process is crucial because it stops the oxidation of the tea leaves. That’s how most Japanese green teas are made. Different lengths of steaming time make notable changes in the resulting sencha.