▪ Roasting kills enzymes in the leaves causing oxidation.
▪ For this, the leaves are brutally heated to a temp. of above 100°C, in large pans (the Chinese method) or by steam cooking (the Japanese way), for 30 sec to a few mins.
▪ The leaves thus become soft and easily bendable for the rolling process

▪ The leaves are then rolled by hand or by machine depending on the origin et the grade of the tea.
▪ This stage gives them the appearance of small sticks, balls, coils or actual tea leaves.
▪ The operation can be carried out either hot or cold, according to the fineness of the harvest.
▪ Young shoots are easily rolled cold due to high water content, as opposed to more mature leaves which require immediate rolling after the roasting process, while they are still hot.

▪ The leaves are dried on racks called "tats" with hot air being circulated for 2-3 minutes.
▪ Then this process stops for half an hour leaving the leaves to rest, after which drying is repeated until the moisture content of the leaves is no more than 5 to 6%.