Only processed during several procedures can fresh leaves of tea show economic value, becoming different kinds of semi-manufactured tea or finished product. Characteristic of some ingredient of fresh leaf that bring about acerbity and grass flavor is changed after properly manufactured. Thus, delicious beverage of tea can be made out.

The manufacture of tea includes elementary restriction, refinery, and additional process. Quality of tea is decided mostly by the elementary restriction, the foundation of high quality. Under different manufacture craft, fresh leaf is processed into six different tea genera--green tea, yellow tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea and dark tea. Quality of tea depends on combination and coordination of each manufacture procedure, including fixation, yellowing, pile-fermentation, withering, making green, fermenting, rolling and drying. Development of science and technology has advanced the skill of tea manufacture, from the most early solar-drying skill, the steaming skill in Tang dynasty, to roasting skill, and to fermenting skill. Thus there come into being the six main tea species. Meanwhile great progress has been made in tea manufacture fashion, developed from handiwork to waterwheel power mill to make dumpling tea. At the beginning of the 20th century, machine was first applied in black tea production in India. Since mechanism has been used in Japan to make steamed green tea. Now tea manufacture is gradually developing to series production, automation and completely sealed, to guarantee the safety and hygiene of the product.