Green tea is typically dried using either oven drying or sun drying.
Oven Drying
Oven drying involves using an oven with perforated trays to circulate hot air around the tea leaves. This method offers more control over the drying process and can be faster than sun drying.
- Process: Tea leaves are spread thinly on perforated trays. Hot air is circulated through the tea within the oven.
- Advantages: Offers greater control, speed, and consistency.
- Considerations: Requires specialized equipment (ovens with airflow) and careful temperature monitoring to avoid scorching the leaves.
Sun Drying
Sun drying is a more traditional method that relies on natural sunlight to evaporate moisture from the tea leaves.
- Process: Tea leaves are spread thinly on shallow bamboo baskets (or similar surfaces) and left outdoors to dry in direct sunlight.
- Advantages: A low-cost and simple method, although it requires suitable weather conditions.
- Considerations: Dependent on weather, takes longer, and may not be as consistent as oven drying. Requires constant monitoring to prevent spoilage.
In summary, the primary methods for drying green tea are oven drying, which offers more control and consistency, and sun drying, which is a more traditional, lower-cost approach.
