We are now going to review, arguably, the most well-known tea variety (particularly so in the Western world), and my personal favourite- Black Tea.
In the West we call this variety Black Tea, because the leaves, when used for steeping, are black in colour. Whereas in the East they refer to this variety as Red Tea, as this is the colour of the brewed tea- I’d personally call this brown tea but suppose it doesn’t have the same ring to it!
Black Tea is the most commonly drank variety of tea and is enjoyed, predominantly, in the West- when many people think of tea their first thoughts would be of Black Tea, be that an English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Assam or Darjeeling to name a few. In the East, traditionally, they used to mainly consume varieties of Green and White teas, but they are now catching up the West with the amount of Black Tea now drank.
The production of Black Tea
To produce Black Tea, the leaf goes through the whole set of processing stages to fully oxidises the tea.
So in order to turn the green plucked tea leaves into the well-known Black Tea, the leaves go through a number of processes including: withering, rolling, oxidising and drying.
Withering
Once the leaves are plucked, they are laid out in large troughs where warm air can pass around them to dry out all the moisture, this process is known as the withering phase. Withering the leaves also makes them become malleable to assist in the 2nd stage of the Black Tea making process – rolling the leaves.
Rolling
There are 2 main processes of rolling that Black Tea can experience; firstly, the traditional hand rolling technique or secondly a more modern and mass produced rolling process called Cut, Tear, Curl (CTC):
Hand Rolling– the leaves are passed through a rolling machine which gently and carefully presses them and causes them to bruise. The bruising breaks down the leaf’s internal cellular structure, which promotes the enzymes within the leaf to interact with the oxygen, in the air, and the oxidation process begins. This is the traditional process of rolling Black Tea.
CTC– The Cut, Tear, Curl process on the other hand is a much more modern process that was introduced in the 1950’s to meet the growing needs of the tea bag market. With the TCT rolling the leaves, unlike with traditional hand rolling, are not gently rolled but are feed through large rollers with sharp teeth that, as the name suggests, cut and tear the leaves. The process can be repeated continually until the leaves are broken into uniform small fragments which are ideal to fill tea bags.
Oxidation
Once the leaves are rolled it is time for the oxidation process. For the oxidation process to occur the leaves, or more appropriately the enzymes contained within the leaves, are encouraged to interact with oxygen.
Unlike other teas, Black Teas are encouraged to fully oxidise which gives them their rich flavourings.
Once the oxidising has reached the desired level, the process is stopped/ ‘fixed’, usually by placing the leaves in a dryer where high temperatures stops any further oxidising and locking the flavour.
The dried tea is then transferred to sorting and packing. The leaves are sized, graded and packed to be transported for consuming.
Because of the higher levels of processing and in particular the rolling phase higher levels of caffeine forms within the leaves, this in turn makes the caffeine level within black tea higher than in other tea varieties. Generally, Black Tea contains between 64 and 112 milligrams (mg) per serving (230ml).
Black Tea, unlike any other tea, is associated with adding milk to the steeped tea. This is mainly because Black Tea can sometimes be quite strong and astringent due to its high tannin content. Adding milk can help mellow out the flavour, the natural sweetness of the milk can cut through the bitterness.
Types of Black Tea
The most common forms of Black teas are either single estate teas or blending of other teas. If you will it is similar to Whiskeys the Single Estate teas are the single malt Whiskeys and the blended teas are the blended Whiskeys (funnily enough)!
Estate Teas
- Assam Tea named after the region in India where it is primarily produced, the northeastern state of Assam. Assam is full-bodied with a strong flavour with notes of malty sweetness. Assam is one of the Black Teas often enjoyed with milk and sugar.
- Ceylon Tea named after the island of Ceylon- present day Sri Lanka, they can come in a range of flavours from delicate and light to bold and robust. It can be enjoyed ‘as it comes’ or with lemon.
- Darjeeling Tea grown in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India, situated within the foothills of the Himalayas. It is hand-plucked and undergoes minimal processing to preserve its delicate flavours. It has a floral and fruity taste with a subtle astringency.
- Keemun Tea is a Black Tea that originates from Qimen County in China’s Anhui Province. Keemun Tea leaves are harvested, withered, rolled, oxidized, and then dried. To gain its distinctive flavour the leaves are twisted which produces a fruity and floral taste.
Blended Black Teas
- Earl Grey is a flavoured/ blended tea that originated in the United Kingdom, Earl Grey is a blend of Black Tea (usually a Ceylon or Assam) with bergamot extract (an Italian citrus fruit). Either drank black or with lemon.
- English Breakfast tea is a blend of black teas that originated in the United Kingdom. It typically combines black teas from different regions, such as Assam, Ceylon, and Kenya. English Breakfast has a bold, robust flavour with a malty undertone. It can be enjoyed with or without milk and sugar.
How to brew Black Tea
Temperature– 90-95 Degrees C
Steeping time– 180 secs (3+mins)
Quantity– 0.8g/100ml
Take with Milk– Can be taken with or without milk
Rinse Tea? Advisable as it softens the leaf and prepares it for brewing. This can reduce steeping time and makes it less bitter
Some health benefits of Black Tea:
As discussed in previous posts all teas have a number of health benefits, due to the goodness contained within the leaves, such as antioxidants and L-theanine. The below list provides some potential health benefits of drinking Black Tea.
(please note that the below claimed benefits of Black Tea have been proposed by other third parties, these are not the findings of nor been researched by the Author, it is for the reader to do their own research as to the validity of the health claims made):
1. Antioxidants
As mentioned above all teas are known for containing antioxidants which are thought to provide a host of health benefits.
The antioxidants found in Black Tea are known as Polyphenols and include catechins, theaflavins, and thearubigins.
Antioxidants have health benefits as they are believed to help remove free radicals from the body- Free radicals can cause damage to human cells which can lead to signs of aging and some chronic illnesses
Although antioxidants can be gained in health supplements it is believed that the best way to consume these is via food and drink- of which tea is a delicious way of achieving this.
2. May improve focus
As with all teas, Black Tea contains caffeine and L-theanine (an amino acid), which can improve alertness and focus.
L-Theanine slows the release of caffeine into the blood stream thus the caffeine benefit is released slower but over a longer period than with other caffeinated drinks, so a smaller quantity of tea needs to be drunk than with these other drinks. This is also a benefit as it staves off the ‘crash effect’ that can be prevalent with these other drinks.
L-Theanine also has calming properties in its’ own right so also reduces the effects of caffeine.
So in all, even a small amount of Black Tea can improve cognitive processing, focus and alertness.
Thus, Black tea could be an ideal drink should you want to improve energy and focus without the need of large amounts of caffeine.
3. May help reduce blood pressure
High blood pressure can increase the risks of heart failure and other health issues, it is believed however, that changes to diet and lifestyle may lower blood pressure.
Some studies have found that drinking Black Tea on a daily basis, as well as incorporating other lifestyle modifications like stress management strategies, may benefit those with high blood pressure.
Of my short but very enjoyable journey of all thing’s tea, I tend to find myself returning to try more and more different Black Teas! You may have previously gathered that Earl Grey is, currently my go to brew, t-ea-licious!
