Withering is used to remove excess water from the leaves and allows a very slight amount of oxidation. The process is also important in promoting the breakdown of leaf proteins into free amino acids and increase the availability of freed caffeine, both which change the taste of the tea.
The Central Himalayas encompasses the areas with the highest topographic relief. The Central Himalayas is again separated into four zones:The High Himalayan Crystalline Sequence (HHCS)The Tethys Himalaya (TH)The Nyimaling-Tso Morari Metamorphic Dome (NTMD)The Lamayuru and Markha Units (LMU)