1. Picking: Choose to pick in the early morning of spring, when the tea buds contain much water and the leaves are soft and tender.
2. Withering: The picked tea leaves are spread out in a cool and ventilated place, so that they gradually lose their moisture and the leaves soften for the next step of kneading.
3. Kneading: The withered tea leaves are put into the kneading machine to be kneaded, so that the leaves are deformed, the internal cells are broken up, and the aldehyde enzyme enzymes come into contact with the tea polyphenols to enhance the flavor and fruity aroma.
4. Fermentation: For black tea, the tea leaves should be fermented after kneading. The tea leaves are roasted in a slightly warm environment, the humid environment will help the growth and metabolism of tea microorganisms, which is conducive to the subsequent processing of tea leaves.
5. Stir-frying: Stir-frying is the final process of making Xishan tea, aiming to make the tea leaves dry and dark green. The frying time of Xishan tea needs to be adjusted several times, and during the frying process, the tea needs to be tossed and heated evenly, so that the surface of the tea leaves can be cooled after being tossed.
6. Drying: Let the tea leaves be exposed to the sun or dry naturally in a ventilated environment. Let the water content of the tea stabilize at 5% - 6%, which can ensure the freshness and taste of the tea.