"Sha qing" or "Kill-Green"

Frying the leaves at a high temperature to temporarily stop enzyme activity and prevent further oxidation of the leaves. This gives the tea master time to apply additional steps that will shape the final flavour and aroma of the tea. This step is crucial as it is a delicate balancing act: over frying the leaves will lead to burning of the leaves, and under frying the leaves will lead to the leaves over-oxidizing in later stages, thus turning it into a black tea.