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Dry roasting of oolong tea

The dry roasting process is an essential step in the production of oolong tea. It helps to enhance the flavors, aromas, and overall character of the tea leaves. Here’s an overview of the typical dry roasting process for oolong tea:

  1. Withering: After the tea leaves are harvested, they undergo a withering process to reduce moisture content. This step allows the leaves to become flexible and prepares them for the subsequent rolling and roasting.
  2. Rolling: The withered tea leaves are carefully rolled to break down the cell walls and release the essential oils and enzymes within the leaves. Rolling also helps shape the leaves into their characteristic twisted or curled form, which is a distinctive feature of oolong tea.
  3. Oxidation: Depending on the desired style of oolong tea, the rolled leaves may be partially oxidized. This step involves exposing the leaves to air and allowing them to undergo a controlled level of oxidation. Oxidation ranges from light to medium for oolong tea, which contributes to the unique flavor profile of each variety.
  4. Initial Roasting: After oxidation, the tea leaves are subjected to the initial roasting process. This step is typically performed in large pans or woks over a controlled heat source. The leaves are gently tossed and agitated to prevent burning while applying heat to remove excess moisture and halt the oxidation process.
  5. Cooling and Resting: Once the initial roasting is complete, the tea leaves are spread out to cool and rest. This rest period allows the leaves to settle and develop their flavors further. The duration of cooling and resting can vary depending on the specific tea and desired characteristics.
  6. Repeated Roasting: The cooled and rested leaves are then subjected to additional rounds of roasting. This process may involve multiple cycles of roasting, cooling, and resting, with each round carefully controlled to develop the desired flavors, aromas, and texture of the oolong tea. The intensity and duration of each roast can be adjusted to create different profiles, from light and floral to deep and toasty.
  7. Final Roasting and Finishing: After the desired roasting levels are achieved, the tea leaves undergo a final roasting and finishing process. This step helps to balance the flavors, remove any remaining moisture, and enhance the overall aroma and complexity of the tea.
  8. Grading and Packaging: Once the tea leaves have completed the roasting process, they are carefully graded based on their quality, appearance, and consistency. The graded tea leaves are then packaged to preserve their freshness and flavors until they reach the consumer.

The dry roasting process of Chinese oolong tea requires expertise and precision to bring out the distinctive characteristics of each tea variety. It is a skillful combination of art and science that contributes to the exceptional taste and aroma that oolong tea is renowned for.

Wikipedia referred my content of my drying roasting process of Chinese oolong tea:

Coffee beans being roasted
Dry roasting is a process by which heat is applied to dry foodstuffs without the use of oil or water as a carrier. Unlike other dry heat methods, dry roasting is used with foods such as nuts and seeds, in addition to some eaten insects such as house crickets. Dry-roasted foods are stirred as they are roasted to ensure even heating.

Dry roasting can be done in a frying pan or wok (a common way to prepare spices in some cuisines),[1] or in a specialized roaster (as is used for coffee beans or peanuts). Dry roasting changes the chemistry of proteins in the food, changing their flavor, and enhances the scent and taste of some spices. Roasted spices are commonly prepared by adding various herbs, spices and sugars in the frying pan and roasting until brown.

Common dry-roasted foods include peanut butter, which is made from peanuts that have been dry roasted; tea, which is made from tea leaves that have been dry-roasted (either immediately after picking or after fermentation),[2][3][4]; and coffee and chocolate, which are made from roasted coffee beans[5] and roasted cocoa beans,[6] respectively.

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