Black Tea

 Black tea is one of the most common varieties of tea around…but that certainly does not detract from its qualities. Read on to find out more about this perennial favorite!

 Black tea is the term used to describe a variety of tea that undergoes a more extensive oxidation process than green, oolong and white teas. All four of these tea varieties are actually made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, with black tea generally exhibiting a stronger flavor and containing more caffeine than the other tea varieties.

 In China and other counties with a similar linguistic culture, black tea commonly goes by the name "crimson tea", which is a more accurate description of its colour. The name black tea is still appropriate however, since it could be used to refer to the colour of the oxidized tea leaves. The term "black tea" is also commonly used in China to describe various post-fermented teas, among them Pu-erh tea. In other countries–particularly in the West–"red tea" is commonly used to describe rooibos, which is a South African herbal tea or tisane.

 Black tea can actually hold its flavor for up to several years, as opposed to green teas, which typically lose their flavor within a year. This is the main reason why black tea is a popular item of trade, and why compressed blocks of black tea have even been used as a form of currency in countries such as Mongolia, Tibet, and Siberia well into the 19th century. Black tea was even used in Tang Dynasty China as a cloth dye by the lower classes who could not afford the higher quality dyes available at that time.

 The tea that was originally imported to Europe from China was of the green or semi-oxidized variety. It wasn’t until the 19th century that black tea overtook green tea in popularity, and while green tea has enjoyed a sort of revival in recent years due to its reported health giving benefits, black tea still reigns as one of the most popular teas around, accounting for more than ninety percent of all the tea sold in the West.

 In certain cultures, the term "black tea" is also used to refer to tea served without milk, in the same manner that “black coffee” is served without milk or cream.

Unblended black teas are generally named after the region that they are produced in. Different regions where black tea is grown will often produce teas that have their own distinct flavors. Black tea is also often blended and mixed with plants and various other substances in order to produce different beverages. Some of the most common blends are listed below.

Earl Grey. This is simply black tea mixed with bergamot oil.

English Breakfast. This is a black tea that is often described as being full-bodied, robust, and rich, and is often mixed with milk and sugar.

Irish Breakfast. This is actually a blend of several different black teas, with Assam teas being the most commonly used.

In countries such as the United States, the rinds or even bits of citrus fruits like oranges or lemons are often used to flavor black teas. Certain spices such as cinnamon may also be added to the mix. While it is easy to confuse these products with citrus-based herbal teas, keep in mind that true herbal teas will have no caffeine in it, whereas tea-based products do contain certain amounts of caffeine.

 The processing of black tea is described as follows:

1. After the tea leaves are harvested, they are subjected to a withering process by way of blowing air on them.

2. The black teas are then processed either by the CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) method or through the orthodox procedure. The CTC method is typically used for lower quality tea leaves that are intended for consumption in tea bags, and they are generally processed with the use of machines. This highly efficient method helps ensure that a better quality tea will result from medium and lower quality tea leaves. Orthodox processing on the other hand, involves processing either by machine or by hand, with hand processing generally reserved for teas of a higher quality. The processing methods used in the orthodox manner results in a higher quality loose leaf tea that is much more highly regarded by tea connoisseurs.

3. The tea leaves are then subjected to an oxidization process under carefully controlled temperature and humidity conditions. While this process is also often called "fermentation", the term is inaccurate as no fermentation actually occurs.

4. The tea leaves are then dried to halt the oxidation process.

5. Finally, the tea leaves are categorized into different grades according their sizes and prepared for packaging.

 When brewing black tea, the ratio of 2.25 grams of tea per 180 ml of water, is often used. Black tea is always steeped in freshly boiled water, as opposed to green teas, which turn bitter when brewed at higher temperatures. The steeping times for black tea range from 3 to 4 minutes for the more delicate black teas, to 4 to 5 minutes for whole leaf black teas.