WHAT IS THE GREEN TEA STEAMING PROCESS?

May 09, 2022

Every kind of tea leaves goes through a steaming process, and in green tea leaves cases, it happens right after picking. Green tea leaves, when picked, are sent right away to a crude tea factory where the process goes through under high heat. The steaming process is crucial as it is responsible for stopping oxidation in tea leaves. However, if the process is skipped, then the enzymes present in tea leaves change the original components by oxidizing polyphenol, resulting in the oxidation of catechin.

Catechins are the main and vital nutrients in green tea leaves and responsible for many health benefits and give astringent taste to the tea. It works as an antioxidant agent and frees your body from any harmful radicals. Therefore, it is essential to drink green tea, which has gone through each processing step. The steaming process gives your tea a proper taste and keeps the catechins in their original form to get health benefits from it.

The steaming process was made important and frequently used to eliminate the smell of leaves, enhance aroma, inactivate enzymes, and make the tea leaves softer, making it easy to break down in later processing.

In Japan, the steaming process was introduced long ago, but in recent years, it has gained popularity due to an increase in massive scale export. Kobo Daishi, a Japanese monk, learned this method during his visit to China in 804A.D, and on his return, he taught the technique to other tea vendors. Now every green tea sold in Japan and exported goes through the steaming process.

Nowadays, streaming is done through a tea steaming machine in a properly made factory. The device is made up of a string shaft and a net drum, and both these parts are covered with steaming drums. When leaves go through this machine, oxidizing enzymes present in fresh leaves are killed due to steam-heat. Steamed leaves get a new and fresh green color and contain 75% water. Then it immediately goes through other steps such as rolling and drying.

The steaming process's length varies in green teas as the time determines the flavor, aroma, and color of a tea. Each green tea has a specific timed steaming process, and it varies depending on the growing condition of each green tea, the region of cultivation and elevation, etc. The timing determines most of the results of brewing tea and taken seriously during each green tea type. In the following table, you will see how steaming time changes the fragrance, taste, and color of a tea. 

Green Tea steaming time and characteristics

Method	Light Steaming	Normal Steaming	Deep Steaming	Special Streaming	Extra Deep Steaming
Steaming Time	20-30 sec Short time	30-40 sec Short time	40-60 sec Short time	90-120 sec Long time	140-160 sec Two-step steaming
Taste	Clear (astringency)	Slightly rich (astringency)	Rich (astringency)	Deep rich (smoothness)	Strong. Low astringency
Fragnance	Strong	Fresh	Fresh	Weak	Light
Leaf Shape	Long, narrow and uniform	Long, narrow and uniform	Long, narrow and uniform	Broken and fine	Coarse
Tea Color	Clear light-green	Clear light-green	Clear light-green	Darkish green	Deep green

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If you have ever thought that Green Tea is an “acquired taste” or that it is “too bitter” to enjoy, we’re here to change your mind! We want everyone to experience the health benefits of Green Tea and show you that this can be an amazing, refreshing, and delicious drink when made correctly. With just a few tips on how to brew this powerful leaf we can change your mind about the taste and enjoyment of drinking Green Tea.

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