Artisan tea is all about “handmade” and “oxidation” – which in this case are one and the same process.
The leaves need to be shuffled by hand repeatedly over several hours throughout the oxidation process. These requirements immediately led into other considerations, such as how much tea can be harvested and processed promptly using traditional methods; and who is employing these deep and complex procedures.
This understanding of the leaves prompts the artisan to adjust the processing methods according to the current conditions. The freshly picked leaves are also brewed and tasted at different stages in the processing which determines the timing and extent of each step.
October 24, 2019
