What is the role of kneading in tea technology?

It can be rolled tightly to reduce the volume, lay a good foundation for frying into strips, and properly destroy the leaf tissue and substance transformation.

Kneading and baking are the initial forming stages of oolong tea. The whole stage is divided into six processes: three kneading and three baking. Kneading and baking are repeated alternately, and each process is interrelated and restricted. The working procedure is kneading-primary baking-primary kneading-secondary baking-secondary kneading-drying.

Extended data:

Kneading should master the principle of "hot kneading, appropriate heavy pressure, fast and short time";

"hot rubbing":

Oolong tea requires a tight knot and a wrinkled shape. In view of the thick fresh leaves of oolong tea, high maturity, low water content and many cellulose and mineral elements, it shows that the twisted leaves are loose, slightly elastic and not easy to curl into strips. Therefore, it is necessary to "heat and knead" in time, and immediately put it into the bucket after frying and cooling. At this time, the leaf temperature is high, the molecular structure of the inclusion is loose, and the leaf is soft, sticky and plastic.

Appropriate rapid pressure:

In the process of hot kneading, the temperature of the leaves in the barrel is high, which is easy to cause stuffy yellow taste and affect the color and aroma. So the requirements are fast and short.

Kneading in a short time may not be enough, and it needs some pressure. The twisting of oolong tea is the first process of forming, which requires that the twisted tea leaves are in a good curled state and have a certain proportion of crushing rate. The crushing rate of black tea is 80-85%, and that of green tea is 50-65%. The crushing rate of oolong tea is slightly lower than that of green tea in a short time, but the total crushing rate is slightly higher than that of green tea, which is one of the reasons for the mellow taste of oolong tea.

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