Distinction Between the Two Core Processing Stages of Chunmee Tea

The processing of Chunmee tea comprises two main stages-primary processing and refining-which directly determine the product's grade. Primary processing involves withering, fixation (kill-green), rolling, and pan-drying to produce the base tea and form its initial strip-like shape. Refining is crucial for the quality of export tea; it entails processes such as screening, cutting/crushing, winnowing, and manual sorting to remove stalks, yellow leaves, and dust, followed by re-firing and blending for uniformity. Low-end teas undergo only simple primary processing without detailed refining, resulting in an irregular appearance; in contrast, tea destined for export must undergo the full refining process to achieve the uniformity required to meet the inspection standards of overseas buyers.