Kill-green (Shaqing)
Definition
A heat application step - either pan-firing or steaming - that deactivates the enzymes responsible for oxidation, locking in the tea's current level of oxidation. Chinese greens are typically pan-fired; Japanese greens are steamed.
Why it matters
Kill-green is what makes green tea green. The method used (pan vs. steam) creates dramatically different flavor profiles: pan-firing produces toasty, nutty notes (like Longjing), while steaming preserves vegetal, umami-forward character (like Sencha). It's a fork-in-the-road moment for every tea leaf.