BLACK TEA

There are several varieties of tea, here is some information for tea lovers -- green white and oolong Black tea is a variety of tea that is more oxidized than other varieties. All the are made from leaves of Camellia sinensis. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Two principal varieties of the species are used, the small-leaved Chinese variety plant also used for green and white teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant, which was traditionally only used for black tea, although in recent years some green has been produced. It is said that china is the country from where tea drinking and tea culture originated and spread.

While green tea usually loses its flavor within a year, black tea retains its flavor for several years. For this reason, it has long been an article of trade, and compressed bricks of black tea even served as a form of de factocurrency in Mongolia, Tibet, and Siberia into the 19th century. The tea originally imported to Europe was either green or semi-oxidized. Only in the 19th century did black tea surpass green in popularity. Although green tea has recently seen a revival due to its purported health benefits, black tea still accounts for over ninety percent of all tea sold in the West.

The expression "black tea" is also used to describe a cup of tea without milk ("served black"), similar to coffee served without milk or cream.

Varieties of black tea

Generally, unblended black teas are named after the region in which they are produced. Often, different regions are known for producing teas with characteristic flavors. Chinese black teas

1. Lapsang Souchong originally from Mount Wuyi, Fujian Province, China. It is a black tea which is dried over burning pine, thereby developing a strong smoky flavor.Keemun from Qimen, Anhui Province, China, a Chinese Famous Tea. Thearoma of tea is fruity, with hints of pine, dried plum and floweriness.

Dian Hong from Yunnan Province, China. Well known for dark malty teas and golden bud teas.

Ying De Hong from Guangdong Province, China. The tea has a cocoa-like aroma and a sweet after taste, one can find a peppery note.

Jiu Qu Hong Mei : "Nine Winding Red Plum" from Hu Fou district, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. This tea is characterized by tight fishhook-like leaves with a lustrous black color. The infusion is brightly reddish and has a long smooth aftertaste.

Tibeti originally from , Sichuan Province, China. A unique tea that can also be called brick tea; it is well known as "Tibetan tea" for centuries.

Indian and Sri Lankan black teas:

1.Assam:

from the state of Assam, India. Full bodied, strong and distinctively malty tea from the lowlands of Assam.

2.Darjeeling: 

from the state of West Bengal, India. Thin bodied, floral and fruity tea from Darjeeling with defining muscatel tones. Today often processed as a mixture of black, green and oolong elements, though still classed as black.

3.Munnar: 

from the state of Kerala, India.

4.Kangra: 

from the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.

5.Nilgiri:

from the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Intensely aromatic, strong, and fragrant tea from the Nilgiri Hills of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

6Ceylon: 

from Sri Lanka. Strong yet light with tones of crisp citrus.

Other black tea varieties

1 .Kenyan: 

from Africa, similar to Assam.

Vietnamese: from Vietnam, similar to some cheaper Yunnan teas, with a pleasant and sweet aroma but a more bodied and darker brew; unlike teas from Nepal or Darjeeling.

2. Nepalese:

from uplands of Nepal. Somewhat similar to higher grades of Darjeeling.

3. Turkish: 

from Rize Province on the eastern Black Sea coast of Turkey, that is crystal clear and mahogany in colour. Prepared in a samovar or a çaydanlık, it can be served strong dark or weak in small glasses with cubed sugar.

4. Thai tea: 

from Thailand

5 .Azerbaijani tea: 

from Caucasus in Azerbaijan

6 .Georgian tea: 

from Caucasus in Georgia

7. Krasnodar tea: 

from Caucasus in Russia

8. Java tea: 

from Indonesia, has a nutty aroma, very different from both Chinese and Indian teas.

9. Sumatra tea: 

from Indonesia, similar to Java tea.

10.Cameron tea: 

from the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia;

11.Guatemalan tea: 

from Chirrepec, Coban, Alta Verapaz, a blend of Assam and China Type.

Black tea is often blended and mixed with various other plants in order to obtain a beverage. After the harvest, the leaves are withered by blowing on then processed by two methods orthodox and CTC(curl, tear and crush. Orthodox method is used for top quality and CTC for other qualities, later it is oxidized under controlled temperature and humidity no actual fermentation takes place. Finally tea is sorted out in grades as per quality in – WHOLE, BROKEN, FANNING and DUST.

Lower quality is used in tea bags. One tea spoon full is enough for 150mi. boiled water you can brew it for 2 to 4 minutes as per your taste strong or light add milk and sugar or honey as you like or boil in milk and water mixture where quantity of milk depends on taste. In India we generally like the later type, some people add ginger or masala specially in winters when tea becomes a major social drink. Some of us like our morning tea very much and start our day after a cup of tea. It is habit firming also.

Plain tea without sugar and milk gives medicinal results and antioxidant properties but is not as good as green tea as per information in Wikipedia.