Tea Fermentation Picture

Fermentation is the process of oxidation of leaves. The mechanical aspect involves spreading out of the leaves macerated by rolling a layer 5-8 cms thick, for 45 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the quality of the leaves. Fermenting machines make the process continuous, that is, every unit of macerated leaf has to be spread out for individual treatment. Fermentation is the process during which the Polyphones in the tea leaf are oxidized in presence of the enzymes and subsequently condensed to form Colored compounds contributing to the quality attributes of tea. Fermentation starts immediately after cell rupture.