All about Black Tea

Here are the 5 top things you need to know about black tea.

1.How Black tea is made:

• The leaves come from the Camellia Sinensis tea plant, the same plant that all the tea types come from. The way the tea is processed changes its appearance and taste, making way for an unbelievable number of different teas.
• Black tea means just that, the leaves have been allowed to oxidise fully making them turn a brown/ black colour.  This is done by laying the tea leaves out on a table or floor and allowed to wither. Withering the leaves allows them to soften so that they don't break when rolling and water is allowed to evaporate.

• The now flexible leaves are rolled, which breaks down the cells and releases more water. The leaves become wet and soft and change from a grassy smell to more floral, this takes around 1-2 hours. The tea juices are all over the leaves and they’ve already started to oxidise.
• The leaves are then placed in small piles to allow them to oxidise, the heat contained within helps the process. The leaves are oxidised in the sun or on a table. Oxidising makes the leaves turn a brown/black colour and produces a strong malty taste; the tea producer can tweak the oxidisation time to give the tea slightly different tastes.
• Once complete the leaves are dried and the tea is ready to drink. Drying sets the flavour and maintains the quality ready for consumers to enjoy.

2. How to make a cup of Black tea:

• Black tea can taste strong, malty, light, floral, astringent, and bitter depending on the tea region and how it has been processed but brewing the tea is the same and will bring out the best flavour.
• The amount of tea to use is around 1 teaspoon per person, loose leaf tea makes it easy to add more or less tea depending on your personal preference but it's a good guide to get started. 
• Pour over boiling water, this releases the tea flavour into the water and helps the leaves expand.
• Leave the tea to infuse for 3-5 minutes. This is really important with loose leaf tea as the large leaves take their time to release the flavour, set a timer to be sure.
• Remove the leaves from the cup or teapot to stop the infusion and the tea from stewing.
• Your tea is now ready to drink.

3. What can you add to black tea?

• Milk - whether it's cow’s milk or a milk alternative. Black tea can have milk added despite its name, the milk cuts through the maltiness of the tea and makes for a comforting cup of tea.
• Sugar - if you like a sweeter drink.
• Honey - a natural sweetener, and tastes less harsh than granular sugar
• Lemon - is great for a zesty lift to your tea and gives a fresh taste.

4. Where is black tea from?

• China and India are the main tea producing countries, supplying the world with most of the tea with Sri Lanka and Kenya also producing lots of black tea. 

5. Who would like black tea?

• Black tea contains caffeine, so it is great to drink first thing or when you need to be alert.
• Black tea is rich in antioxidants and can help to improve heart and gut health and improve your overall health. It can also help reduce blood pressure.
• Black tea is available in many different types and there's a tea out there for everyone, 
• A strong tea like Assam is the base for most breakfast teas, so if you like a good breakfast tea then I’m sure you'll love our black tea collection.