manufacturing tea

The picture depicts the two processes for manufacturing black tea.  The traditional way is used for making loose tea and the modern process is ideal for teabags.

When collecting tea, the tea picker picks only the two top leaves and the bud of each plant to ensure a high quality tea.  Then, the tea leaves go through wihering, where leaves are spread out and air is passed through them to remove up to 60 per cent of their moisture.

After that, the leaves are ready for rolling or cutting.  Factories use traditional methods of rolling and crushing or faster modern methods of cutting, tearing and curling to make teabags.  In both processes, natural enzymes are produced from the leaves.  The next step is oxidation, where the enzymes from the leaves mix with air.  This changes the colour of the leaves from green to copper and creates a nice flovour and aroma.  Finally, the leaves are fired and dried.  By this stage, little moisture remains in the tea - just three percent (173 words)