There are numerous tea varieties. Even if the leaves come from the same tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, not all black teas are equal. Different flavors, more or less pronounced bitterness, production method, harvest, country of origin... Let's discover together which type of black tea suits you.
- Black tea producing countries
- The production of black teas
- Tea leaf harvest
- The different varieties of black teas
Black tea producing countries
China is the country that most often comes to mind when we talk about tea. However, when it comes to black tea, other lands are worth exploring.
Chinese black teas
The Chinese are the world's leading producers of green, white and black tea.
Black tea, which they call red tea because of the color of the water when infused, is intended for export.
The different provinces of China allow for different varieties of black teas. Let's mention the most famous: Keemun, Lapsang Souchong as well as Yunnan.
Oolong is also very well-known, but isn't really a black tea. Indeed, the oxidation of the leaves is not complete, which makes oolong a tea between green tea and black tea.
Japan, the other country of tea
Tea production is also very important in Japan. But it mainly concerns green teas, including the famous matcha or sencha teas. The latter would also have many health benefits.
Black tea production in Japan is only very recent.
As in China, the Japanese call it red tea because of the color it gives to water (not to be confused with rooibos).
The most appreciated Japanese black teas are smoked teas, like Japan Lapsang.
Indian black tea
India is the largest tea producer after China. Its black tea is very renowned.
It is cultivated in gardens, most often at high altitude. Due to the temperature, the tea plant leaves have a longer growth, which gives black tea a different taste for the same variety.
The most famous black teas are Assam tea and Darjeeling.
The production of black teas
The black tea manufacturing process plays an essential role in its quality.
The classic oxidation process (fermentation is a misnomer for black tea) allows for excellent infusions.
Other methods exist, less costly and faster, called CTC. Black teas that have undergone this operation are certainly cheaper, but often disappointing in taste.
Traditional black tea oxidation
If the Chinese speak of black tea fermentation, they don't mean the same thing as we do.
Our black tea, the one consumed in the West, is a green tea whose leaves have undergone oxidation. Fermentation therefore only concerns very specific teas. For example, Pu-Erh is a fermented tea.
Be aware that tea leaves oxidize from harvesting to fixation. However, several steps are necessary to obtain a more or less oxidized tea:
- withering;
- rolling;
- fixation or roasting.
The CTC method, for faster black tea oxidation
From the English Crushing-Tearing-Curling, this process allows for the automation of black tea production. Less respectful of the plant than the orthodox method, the tea obtained is mainly intended to be distributed in bags.
Even if sometimes the quality can be good, the taste of the tea is less delicate. These types of teas are nevertheless often much less expensive to buy (since they are cheaper to produce).
Tea leaf harvest
One of the quality criteria for tea is the harvest. Hand-picking is of course preferable to automated harvesting, but it's not the only parameter that influences.
The right season to harvest tea leaves
Tea harvesting doesn't happen during the same period depending on the territories.
While some can afford to harvest leaves all year round, others, due to latitude, are forced to wait for spring.
Indeed, the decrease in sunlight during winter seasons causes tea plants to enter dormancy. The harvest is therefore done from spring onwards. This is the case in India, in Darjeeling, but also in Japan.
Why is spring tea better?
The reason is simple: the rise of sap gives fresh, very vegetal notes, and a unique flavor to the tea. They are highly anticipated by connoisseurs.
Tea leaf plucking
The other reason why spring tea is more sought after is also for the harvest. There are two particularly appreciated types:
- imperial plucking;
- fine plucking.
Imperial plucking consists of harvesting only the bud plus the first shoot below it. Fine plucking includes the buds plus the next two leaves.
These two methods, besides giving flavor to the tea, also allow you to benefit from all its health benefits.
Young shoots, to protect themselves from the sun, produce antioxidants. They alone concentrate 80% of the antioxidants produced by the tea plant.
Coarse plucking is a harvest that concerns the first three to four leaves of the plant. It is intended for a cheaper tea.
Black tea grades
Black tea is a particular tea. It's not enough to know the garden it comes from to know if we're dealing with a particular harvest. Indeed, this tea is often sold as a blend. A blend is a mixture of several tea varieties to balance the flavor and obtain a precise aroma. Thus, to know the quality of a black tea, there is a specific classification, in the form of grades:
- Souchong includes the large lower leaves.
- In the Pekoe grade, the leaves are finer.
- Flowery Pekoe (FP) refers to leaves rolled into a ball.
- Orange Pekoe (OP), the young leaves from a late fine plucking.
- Flowery Orange Pekoe (FOP) is the highest grade (although even more precise in some regions). It's the harvest of buds and the first two leaves.
The different varieties of black teas
There is a great diversity of black tea varieties. Indeed, black tea can be made from any plantation, from any region. But some are more well-known than others, due to their excellence. Plain tea, tea blend or flavored tea, there's something for everyone.
Smoked black teas
Smoked black tea is a tea whose leaves have been oxidized, then rolled on themselves before being smoked, often with spruce. These teas are highly appreciated and can be included in many cooking recipes. The most famous among them are Lapsang Souchong from China, or Japan Lapsang. However, all black teas can be smoked, which is why we can find all sorts from all corners of the world.
Assam black tea
Cultivated in India, Assam black tea is a perfect tea for breakfast. The English are not mistaken and often drink it in the morning with a splash of milk. Its taste is full-bodied, slightly bitter. It is produced in the Assam region, at low altitude. The climate allows tea plants to be very productive.
Often, Assam tea leaves are harvested twice. The second harvest is often better than the first, and is called Tippy Tea, because of the yellow tips that appear on the tea leaves.
Darjeeling black tea
Probably the most famous black tea from India. The cultivars are found in Darjeeling gardens, at high altitude, on the slopes of the Himalayas. It is considered the best of black teas, even nicknamed the "champagne of teas". It releases fruity notes of muscat and almond.
Earl Grey black tea
The famous Earl Grey tea is actually a blend of different black teas. It can include smoked tea like Lapsang Souchong, Darjeeling, Ceylon tea, sometimes even Oolong... The composition may vary, but always contains bergamot, making it a flavored tea. This tea is very popular in England, and different legends circulate about its origin and paternity.
Ceylon tea
Another world-renowned tea, Ceylon tea. This is cultivated in Sri Lanka (Ceylon being the former name of this island), another British colony. It's a special case. While initially, Ceylon tea was essentially black tea, nowadays you can also find green or white varieties. Nevertheless, it's best known for the first variety. Sri Lanka also designates tea by grade, according to the altitude of the cultivars: low, high and medium altitude.
These differences obviously give Ceylon tea characteristics specific to each tea.