The Journey of a Leaf
Your green tea and your black tea may come from the very same plant. What decides their fate is not the cultivar, but a few craft steps in the maker's hands.
Scroll to follow the journey ↓The fresh leaf holds two substances of opposite character: the polyphenols and caffeine that make tea astringent and bitter, and the theanine that makes it fresh and sweet. The master switch that decides their fate is the leaf's enzymes — above all polyphenol oxidase (PPO). How you treat that switch splits the road into six.
heat kills the enzymes, locking in unoxidised green
no kill-green, no rolling — slow, light oxidation
sealed yellowing after kill-green; moist heat brings sweetness
shaking controls partial oxidation, coaxing out aroma
let oxidation run free — red and full-bodied
microbial post-fermentation — aged and smooth
A leaf's journey ends in the workshop; another begins the moment you lift the cup.