Fixing (kill-green)
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German: Fixieren (Sha Qing) Also known as: Sha Qing, Kill-Green, Abtöten (Tee), Dämpfen (Tee)
Brief heating of fresh tea leaves that deactivates the leaf's own enzymes and so stops oxidation, as in green and yellow tea.
In fixing, Chinese sha qing, English "kill-green", the leaves are heated so that the enzymes lose their effect. After that they can no longer oxidise and keep their green colour. In China this is usually done dry in hot pans or drums, in Japan mostly by steaming.
The method shapes the flavour: pan-fired teas often taste nutty or slightly roasted, steamed ones more grassy and vegetal. Oolong is only fixed after partial oxidation, black tea not at all.
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