The Step-by-Step Orthodox Tea Manufacturing Process

Orthodox tea is a term used to describe traditional tea-making processes that involve hand or semi-hand processing techniques like plucking, withering, rolling, oxidation (including roll-breaking and sifting), drying, and sorting and grading.

This method is used to produce high-quality tea with a unique and complex flavor profile.

Unlike CTC Tea (Crush, Tear, Curl), which is machine-crushed into uniform granules, often used to make tea bags and known for its brisk and robust flavor, orthodox tea maintains the integrity of the tea leaves, leading to a more refined and nuanced taste.

Orthodox tea can be classified into several types, including black tea, green tea, oolong tea and white tea, each with its distinct characteristics and flavors.

The Manufacturing Process of Orthodox Tea

Orthodox tea is produced through six carefully controlled stages, each of which shapes the tea’s final flavor, aroma, and appearance.

1. Plucking

• Unlike the mechanized harvesting used in some tea production methods, orthodox tea relies on hand plucking. This allows for selective harvesting, ensuring only the finest tender leaves and desirable parts of the plant are collected.
• Pluckers specifically target the top two leaves and the bud — the “fine pluck”, since these young shoots have the best flavor and contain the highest concentration of essential oils, polyphenols, and other compounds that contribute to the tea’s flavor, aroma, and health benefits.

2. Withering

• Withering is typically carried out by spreading leaves thinly across withering troughs or jute/wire mesh, “tats” in a cool, shaded area to wither, which reduces the moisture content of freshly picked leaves from full turgidity to roughly 60–65%, making them pliable and ready for rolling.
• This process can take anywhere from 12 to 17 hours, depending on humidity and free airflow. Some factories use open (“natural”) withering, where the rate depends only on spread thickness and ambient conditions, while others use closed, ventilated withering for more consistent control.
• Chemically and physically, withering breaks down complex proteins in the leaf into simpler amino acids, a transformation that’s crucial for developing the tea’s eventual flavor and aroma.

3. Rolling

• Once leaves have withered to the desired level, they are rolled using traditional or mechanical rollers — twisted, curled, or shaped into small pellets depending on the style being produced.
• The rolling of the leaves releases cell sap and enzymes, allowing it to interact with the oxygen. This interaction is essential for the oxidation process, which significantly influences the flavor and color of the tea.
• The pressure and duration of rolling must be carefully controlled to avoid crushing the leaves excessively, which can cause the loss of essential oils and flavor compounds. Well-withered leaves are rolled to express the juices — the substrates and enzymes, from within the cells, aiming for a dhool (rolled leaf) temperature below 30°C, moisture around 55%, and pH between 4.5 and 5.0. (source)

3a. Roll-Breaking and Green Leaf Sifting

• After rolling, the leaf mass is compressed into lumps. A combined roll-breaker and sifter machine breaks these up, cools the leaf, aerates the mass, and sieves out particles by size, separating the leaf into portions that will oxidize at a more uniform rate.
• Without it, leaf lumps of different sizes would oxidize unevenly, leading to an inconsistent final cup.
• The sifted leaves are then spread out in thin layers on tables or perforated trays to continue oxidizing.

4. Oxidation

• Oxidation, also known as fermentation, typically runs for 1.5 to 4 hours, depending on the leaf, the desired strength, and the style of tea being produced. Shorter oxidation preserves more green, grassy character, while longer oxidation builds the deep color and malty strength.
• The extent of oxidation is what actually determines the tea type: lightly oxidized leaves move toward oolong or green-leaning profiles, while fully oxidized leaves produce the deep, full-bodied character of black orthodox tea.
• Unlike withering, which is primarily physical moisture loss, oxidation is a chemical transformation that only becomes possible once rolling ruptures the leaf’s cell walls, releasing enzymes that react with oxygen.
• This process leads to chemical changes in the tea leaves, including the breakdown of chlorophyll and the release of tannins and other flavor compounds, which significantly influences the tea’s flavor, color, and aroma.
• Oxidation rooms are kept cool and humid, continuing the same conditions the leaf was sifted into after rolling — consistent temperature and humidity here is what keeps oxidation even across the whole batch.

5. Drying

• Once the desired level of oxidation is reached, leaves are dried using sun drying, baking, or most commonly in commercial settings — hot air dryers, where leaves pass through a drying chamber on trays as hot air circulates around them.
• In Commercial drying, the leaves are spread out on trays and passed through a drying chamber where hot air circulates, gradually removing moisture. It typically runs at around 90–120°C for roughly 20–25 minutes; temperature and duration are carefully controlled, since too much heat scorches the leaf while too little leaves excess moisture behind.
• The final moisture content of the dried leaves is typically reduced to about 2–3%, the point that best preserves the flavor locked in during oxidation and keeps the tea quality stable for storage and transport.

6. Sorting and Grading

• After drying, leaves are sorted with mechanical sifters and sieves of various sizes to remove stems and fibers and separate leaves by size and shape.
• The tea is then graded — whole leaf grades (like TGFOP) are considered highest quality, prized for intact leaves with a uniform appearance, while broken leaf grades are smaller pieces, and fannings and dust are the finest particles, often used in tea bags.

For a full breakdown of specific  tea grade classifications, see our guide on Assam tea grades explained.

Orthodox Tea vs. CTC Tea: Quick Comparison

Technique	Orthodox	CTC
Processing	Hand or machine rolling, leaves stay whole or lightly broken	Machine-crushed into small, uniform granules
Fermentation time	Longer, more gradual oxidation	Shorter, accelerated oxidation
Leaf appearance	Whole, twisted, or curled leaves	Small, uniform pellets
Flavor	Complex, nuanced, brisk	Bold, strong, consistent
Best for	Drinking without milk, connoisseur tasting	Milk tea, masala chai, fast brewing

Benefits of Orthodox Tea

Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Orthodox tea is abundant in antioxidants, including theaflavins and thearubigins, which help combat free radicals in the body. These antioxidants can reduce oxidative stress and are linked to a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease.
2. The polyphenols in orthodox tea may help support metabolism, aiding in weight management and overall energy levels
3. The moderate caffeine content in orthodox tea can enhance mental alertness and improve focus and concentration, typically in the range of 40–70mg per cup for fully oxidized orthodox black tea.
4. Certain compounds in orthodox tea may aid digestion by stimulating the production of digestive enzymes. promoting gut health.
5. Regular consumption of orthodox tea has been linked to lower LDL cholesterol and improved heart health by supporting blood vessel function and reducing inflammation, based on broader black tea research.
6. The bioactive compounds in orthodox tea, including catechins and flavonoids, may help support immune function, and help the body fend off infections.
7. Contrary to the belief that tea is dehydrating, moderate tea consumption is not considered dehydrating for most healthy adults. Its mild caffeine content is generally offset by its overall fluid content, especially when consumed without added sugars or artificial flavors.

Conclusion

The process, from plucking the delicate tea leaves to the final drying and sorting, ensures that each cup of orthodox tea reflects the precision of each stage, from hand-selected leaves to carefully controlled oxidation and drying.

This difference in processing also shows up directly in what you are buying. Whole-leaf orthodox grades generally cost more, since they require more selective plucking and gentler handling at every stage, while broken-leaf, fannings, and dust grades are more affordable and brew faster, which is why they are the norm in tea bags rather than loose-leaf tins.

Orthodox tea, with its rich tradition and meticulous manufacturing process, stands out as a superior tea option for those who appreciate nuanced flavors and health benefits.

If you are looking to explore the best-in-class orthodox tea, Halmari Tea is a great place to start, their orthodox leaf is crafted for exactly the kind of depth and character that sets premium tea apart.