Black Loose Leaf Tea Information

Black tea represents the type of tea obtained from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that goes through the highest grade of oxidation. The production techniques for this particular type of tea are very special. Unlike other varieties that are withered under the strong sun, in the case of black tea, air is blown on the leaves until they wither. Next, the leaves must be processed according to the quality of the resulting tea. The Crush, Tear, Curl technique is adequate for leaves of a lower quality that will be used in tea bags. This procedure is entirely done by machines. The other possible technique, called orthodox processing can also be done automatically, but sorting the leaves by hand results in loose tea leaves of a higher quality.

Oxidation is a mandatory step in the manufacture of black tea. Temperature and humidity must have certain values during this process. The grade of oxidation will influence the final quality of the black tea. Oxidation starts when the leaves are rolled. This is only one of the stages through which tea leaves must go, so timing the stages correctly also has a great impact on the quality of the final product. The oxidation process stops when the leaves are dried. Depending on the size of the leaves, the tea is sorted and packed correspondently.

There are four black tea grades, but this criterion can be used for classifying other teas, too:

? Whole leaf
? Broken leaves
? Fanning
? Dust

Whole leaf black tea produces the brew with the most intense color, flavor and aroma. An additional advantage is the fact that whole leaves can be used for numerous infusions, depending on the variety of black tea and on its quality. The more the leaves are crushed, the more the quality drops.

In order to brew black tea, you must use 2.25 grams or a teaspoon of leaves for 180 ml of hot water. For this particular variety of tea freshly boiled water should be used. This is yet another thing that distinguishes black tea from green tea, which is known to become bitter if freshly boiled water is poured on the leaves. The steeping times vary between black tea varieties. As an example, for Darjeeling and other broken leaf teas, the stepping time ranges between 3 and 4 minutes. Whole leaf black teas require being steep for 4 to 5 minutes. This is also valid for black teas that will be mixed with milk or lemon. The longer the black tea is steeped, the bitter it gets, so it is very important to respect the aforementioned indications.

By: Merlin Cryton

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Source: Black Tea by Chi of Tea Loose Leaf Tea Information