It takes around 2,000 tiny leaves to make just one pound of finished tea

The tea leaves at the beginning and the end of the production process look almost nothing alike, from their shapes to their colors. After the tea leaves have been plucked, the real production of tea begins. The leaves are first taken to a tea factory to be processed. There are only 24 hours between the moment the tea leaves are plucked and the minute they're packed up. And after the process, we'll have one pound of finished tea out of around 2,000 tiny leaves!

So, what happens during these 24 hours? The whole process of making tea is crucial, as there's no more important time in a tea leaf's life! The orthodox tea-making method is the most commonly used. Tea leaves will go through four stages: withering, rolling, oxidation and drying.

When they arrive at the factory, tea leaves are full of moisture. The withering stage reduces their water content to about 60%−70%. The next stage is rolling. This stage includes machines that twist and turn the leaves until they're thin and wiry looking. It also breaks them up, which starts the next stage: oxidation. The oxidation process determines the tea's color, taste, and strength. First, the leaves are put in troughs or laid out on tables. Then, they're left for between 30 minutes and two hours, at a temperature of about 26°C. During this time, enzymes inside the leaves react with the air around them, changing the leaves' color from green to beige, to a rich, deep brown.

And the last stage, also the stage that "shrinks" tea leaves the most, is the drying stage. Once the leaves have been oxidized to the right level, they're passed through hot air dryers in the drying stage. This further reduces their water content to about 3%, leaving them ready to be sorted and packed.