Black Tea
Fully oxidized tea, called hong cha (red tea) in China, made by withering, rolling and oxidizing leaves until dark, giving malty, fruity, robust flavors.
Definition
Black tea is withered, rolled to break cell walls, then left to oxidize until the leaf turns copper-brown, and finally dried. During oxidation, catechins combine into theaflavins and thearubigins, which give black tea its color, briskness and body. In China it is called hong cha, "red tea", after the color of the liquor. Black tea was first made in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian; Lapsang Souchong from Tongmu village is generally considered the earliest. Production spread through China in the 19th century (Keemun in Anhui, Dian Hong in Yunnan) and was established by the British in Assam, Darjeeling and Ceylon. Today India, Kenya and Sri Lanka are among the largest producers, and Kenya is the largest black tea exporter. Two manufacturing methods dominate. Orthodox processing rolls whole leaves and yields leaf grades such as FTGFOP and broken grades. CTC (crush, tear, curl) machines cut the leaf into small granules that brew strong and fast; most tea bags and Indian chai use CTC tea.
In Depth
Brew at 95-100°C (203-212°F). Western style, use 2-3 g per 250 ml and steep 3-5 minutes; CTC teas need only 2-3 minutes. Chinese black teas such as Keemun and Dian Hong also brew well gongfu-style with 4-5 g per 100 ml and 10-20 second infusions.
A cup typically holds 40-70 mg of caffeine per 240 ml, the highest of the main categories mostly because black tea is usually brewed hotter, longer and from higher-caffeine assamica leaf.
Black tea pairs with milk because its theaflavins and thearubigins bind milk proteins, which softens astringency without erasing flavor. Breakfast blends are usually Assam-heavy for that reason. Darjeeling first flush is an exception: it is very lightly oxidized for a black tea and is normally drunk without milk. Black tea keeps 1-2 years sealed.
See Also
- English Breakfast Blends
- Indian Tea Regions
- Chinese Red Tea