Black tea is a fully fermented tea and one of the most popular teas in the world. The biggest difference between black tea and green tea is the additional fermentation process, which fully oxidizes the leaves, turning the dry leaves and infused liquor dark and vibrant red. The major black tea-producing regions in the world are China, India, and Sri Lanka.
The production process of black tea includes plucking, withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying, with withering being the most important step. Compared to unfermented green tea and semi-fermented oolong tea, black tea not only undergoes a fermentation process but also achieves full fermentation, exceeding oolong tea’s 15% to 80% oxidation level. The higher the degree of fermentation, the fewer polyphenols and tannic acids the leaves contain, while new compounds such as theaflavins and thearubigins are formed, along with aromatic substances like alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and esters.
▲Black tea harvested in spring, summer, and autumn offers the best quality. In Taiwan, summer and autumn black teas are the most abundant.
Black tea differs significantly from oolong tea and green tea in color and flavor. Black tea leaves are dark in color, and the brewed liquor is a deep red. It tastes less bitter, has a warming nature, and features a richer, fuller body. Regarding storage, black tea is less susceptible to flavor degradation over time compared to green tea, which is a major advantage. Because of this, it spread to the West early on and became a hugely popular beverage in European and American countries as well.
▲Black tea leaves are darker in color and brew into a deep red liquor.
The world’s largest producers of black tea are China, India, and Sri Lanka. Well-known black teas include China’s Lapsang Souchong, Qimen black tea, and Congou black tea. India is world-famous for Assam and Darjeeling black teas, while Sri Lanka is known for Ceylon high-grown black tea. Taiwan also produces black tea; in earlier years, production even exceeded that of oolong tea. Although its market share has since been surpassed by oolong tea, varieties such as Honey Black Tea and SunMoon Lake black tea remain widely popular.
| Black Tea Guide | |||