Sheng (Raw) Pu-Erh Tea

• The tea leaves are picked, withered to make them less brittle, and then heat treated, usually pan fired in a relatively low temperature wok, to neutralize the enzymes that would cause the tea leaves to oxidize.
  
• Next, the leaves are traditionally dried in the sun, one of the characteristics that make Pu-Erh processing unique. If weather conditions are not favorable or a producer wishes to speed up the drying process at the expense of quality, however, the tea leaves are sometimes dried in large ovens using low heat. The drying process continues until roughly 90% of the moisture has been removed.  At this point, the tea leaves are referred to as Mao Cha, or semi-finished tea.
  
• The Mao Cha is then sorted and separated into different grades.  Larger factories will use a blower & wind tunnel system to quickly sort the tea leaves into different sizes/grades, while small factories or family concerns will either perform this step by hand or omit it all together.
  
• If the finished product is to be a blend, the factory tea masters blend the leaves from different growing regions or vintages together based on specific formulas or recipes.
  
• Finally, the leaves are steamed to make them pliable again and compressed into shapes using the traditional stone molds or one of any number of mechanized systems of molds and presses.
•  The newly pressed cakes of tea are sometimes baked in a relatively low heat oven (200-250 F) to drive out any residual moisture and prevent the formation of mold.
• Last, the finished products are stored in a low moisture environment to allow them to dry out and begin the aging process.

Shu (Ripe) Pu-Erh Tea Production Method