Black tea generally refers to tea whose leaves are heavily oxidized and fermented. It is generally stronger in flavor than other varieties of tea (such as green, white and oolong teas) and generally contains higher caffeine content.
Black tea is not black when poured. The name refers to the color of the leaves, which are black. When poured, Black tea has a dark amber color.
Black tea is able to preserve its flavor for several years - and in the case of Pu-erh Tea, fifty years. Its ability to maintain its flavor has meant that historically, it has been used for trading purposes.
Black tea accounts for around 90% of all tea sold worldwide today.
Varieties of black tea
Black teas are usually named after its region of produce. All varieties of black tea contain a similar level of caffeine. Their taste can vary, but generally black teas are full-bodied and robust.
Some of the more well-known varieties include:
Assam Tea: From Assam, India. Assam tea is known for its malty, full-bodied and fruity flavor. Some Assam tea contains golden tips on the leaves, increasing the sweetness of the taste.
Darjeeling: From the Darjeeling region in India, Darjeeling tea is known as the "champagne of teas". It is known for its spicy and muscatel (grape-like) taste, with the latter one of Darjeeling tea's most famed qualities.
Earl Grey: A black tea blended with bergamot oil, it is the world's most popular tea.
Lapsang Souchong: A Chinese black tea from the Fujian Province, it is dried over burning pine. Lapsang souchong is known for its distinctive smoky taste.
Nilgiri Tea: From the Nilgiri tea in southern India. Nilgiri tea is known for its smooth, brisk taste and versatile nature.
Processing of black tea
Black tea is firstly harvested, and then the leaves are withered using blown air.
Black tea is then processed either through crush and curl (CTC), which is when the leaves are processed en-masse using giant rollers with teeth, or orthodox processing where each leaf is curled separately. Only high-quality tea is processed by hand.
The leaves are then oxidized under controlled temperature and humidity conditions.
When the desired level of oxidation has been reached, the leaves are fired to halt the oxidation process.
The leaves are finally sorted into grades according to their size, using with the use of sieves. The sizes are, from largest to smallest: whole leaf, broken leaf, fanning and dust.
Health benefits of black tea
Black tea is a rich source of antioxidants, which have been linked with cancer prevention, decreased heart disease and lowered cholesterol.
Black tea is rich with antioxidants called polyphenols - or tannin - which is known to prevent damage to cells. Damage to body cells is an early sign of cancer. Tannin is known for its ability to help DNA cells reproduce accurately, thus preventing abnormalities from forming.
More information on black tea varieties
The following pages contain detailed information on many types of black tea, including the characterestics, health benefits and preparation methods of each:
- Amaretto Tea
Find out all about how to prepare Amaretto Tea, a unique blend of black tea and Italian liqueur. Includes information on selecting the right brand of Amaretto.- Assam Tea
Grown in the Assam region of Northern India, read all about the taste, varieties and preparation of Assam Tea - the largest produced tea in the world!- Bigelow Tea
Since its inception in 1945, Bigelow Tea has been the best-selling fragrant black tea in the United States. Learn all about the taste and history of Bigelow Tea.- Blackberry Tea
Made from the blackberry bushes that grow in parts of Europe and North America, Blackberry Tea has many health benefits, including use as a treatment for diarrhea.- Ceylon Tea
Sri Lanka is another great tea producing region of the world. Read the the fascinating history of the five major varieties of Ceylon Tea and the characteristics of each.- Chai Tea
Learn all about the meaning of Chai and the ingredients used to make this very popular spiced tea that is taking the world by storm!- Chinese Black Tea
Read about the many varieties and properties of Chinese Black Tea, many of which are becoming increasingly popular all around the world.- Earl Grey Tea
Sold in over ninety countries around the world, Earl Grey Tea is the world's most popular tea! Read all about the fascinating history behind this unique British tea and its variations.- English Tea
The English are renowed around the world for being fanatical tea-lovers. Learn about the properties and history of English Tea.- Lapsang Souchong
Learn about the taste, appearance, history and production of Lapsang Souchong, one of the strongest varieties of tea in the world.- Nilgiri Tea
Renowned for its smooth, brisk taste and versatile nature, learn about the processing, properties and preparation of Nilgiri Tea.
