The leaves are steamed immediately after harvest to prevent fermentation and maintain pliability. The leaves are then rolled and fired until they turn dark green. They are then dried and either crushed into small pieces or ground to a powder. Green teas have a pale color and less aroma and flavor than black teas. Tencha and Gunpowder are a couple of the more popular green teas.
Oolong tea is semi-fermented.
They are then fermented for about onefourth the time of black tea and steamed to stop the process. They yield a tea that is in between the flavors, colors, and aromas of green and black teas. The best known oolong tea is Formosa Oolong from Taiwan. After the tea is processed, it must be packaged. The tea is first graded by particle size, shape, and cleanliness.