Tea processing terms can be confusing. What is fixation or kill-green?
Kill-green is done to stop the tea leaf oxidation at a desired level.
This process is accomplished by moderately heating tea leaves, thus deactivating their oxidative enzymes and removing unwanted scents in the leaves, without damaging the flavor of the tea.
Traditionally, the tea leaves are panned in a wok or steamed, but with advancements in technology, kill-green is sometimes done by baking or “panning” in a rolling drum.
In some white teas and some black teas such as CTC blacks, kill-green is done simultaneously with drying.
This content has been adapted from the book Your Path of Tea for Health of Body, Mind and Spirit by the late Thia McKann, Tea Master and Owner of The Path of Tea.