Black tea is popular in both Eastern and Western nations, and it gets used to make a variety of traditional blends and beverages, ranging from morning blends to milky teas. Learn about the most popular black tea varieties.
How many different kinds of black tea are there?
Black tea is brewed from the Camellia sinensis plant and is oxidized. There are hundreds of thousands of different varieties of black tea, just like there are thousands of different types of green tea. Black teas get often classified by nation and region of production. Furthermore, based on the harvesting season, production techniques, and leaf quality, they can get categorized into a few distinct categories.
Different Camellia sinensis varietals and cultivars can get used to make black tea. Camellia sinensis var assamica, a tea plant with more leaves and often higher caffeine than Camellia sinensis var Sinensis, gets used to make most black teas. This plant is quite popular in Assam, India, and Yunnan, China. It’s not always simple to tell the difference between these two sorts. It may be more challenging to distinguish between cultivars.
Varieties of Black Tea
India, Sri Lanka, and China produce the most popular and well-known black teas. Many other nations, including Australia, England, and the United States, give black tea. African black teas are also quite popular due to their robust and intense flavor.
Black tea from India
Tea manufacturing in India is not as old as China teas, particularly Assam and Darjeeling, have earned worldwide fame. Without Indian teas, many tea blends would be impossible to imagine.
Tea from Assam
Assam tea is the most well-known tea manufactured from the assamica plant. There are hundreds upon thousands of Assam teas, each with its distinct flavor profile, yet they are all strong, full-bodied, and malty. Milky teas may get made with Assam tea. It is robust, simple to make, and always pairs nicely with sugar and milk.
Tea from Darjeeling
Darjeeling, sometimes known as the champagne of teas, is an Indian tea cultivated in Darjeeling. It gets manufactured from Camellia sinensis var Sinensis, unlike Assam tea. It brews into a lighter cup and has a distinct muscatel taste with flowery undertones. Darjeeling teas get collected throughout the year, but the first and second flushes are the finest.
Black teas from China
China, the birthplace of tea, produces some of the best black teas. Many of them have a lengthy history and are widely available.
Tea Lapsang Souchong
Lapsang souchong is a black tea from Fujian province’s Wuyi area. Although lapsang souchong can be smoked or not, the traditionally smoked kind has a unique pinewood smoke fragrance and flavor, unlike any other tea. This tea pairs nicely with desserts and is ideal for afternoon tea.
Tea by Dian Hong
Dian hong black tea comes from the Chinese region of Yunnan. Dry leaves have a strong taste with earthy and honey undertones and frequently have a lot of golden buds. The assamica tea plant gets used to make Yunnan black tea.
Black teas from Sri Lanka
Another type of tea is Sri Lankan or Ceylon tea, which has a lighter but heavier, crisp taste with floral undertones. Ceylon teas may get cultivated at various elevations. They’re frequently a lighter orange tint with a hint of bitterness.
Pekoe Orange
Orange pekoe is a leaf used to make various black teas, rather than a variety of tea. Today, the word orange pekoe mainly refers to a traditional Ceylon black tea that is medium to full-bodied, with a heavy flavor and subtle floral undertones. Orange pekoe may come from India as well.
Blended Black Teas with the Best Flavor
Unlike green teas, black teas have long made some of the world’s most popular mixes. Today, those mixes might include a variety of teas, but they will always have the same distinct flavor characteristics.
Breakfast in England
English Breakfast is a blend of black teas that yields a full-bodied, malty cup. Why only a smidgeon? Because English breakfasts often contain a variety of teas, including Assam and Darjeeling.
Earl Grey
Earl Grey is a famous tea mix using bergamot essential oil and one or more black teas. It has a distinct lemony taste. This tea is the best for newcomers to tea and may get served with or without milk.
Caravan of Russians
Russian Caravan is a famous tea mix made up of many black teas with a smokey taste. This blend gets made with various Chinese teas, and also it may incorporate teas from several countries. Russian Caravan tea is often milder than Assam tea, with fruity and smokey notes.
Black tea with lychees
Chinese lychee black tea is probably the most well-known black tea. Black tea leaves are blended with lychee until the aroma and flavor of this exotic tropical fruit get infused. Guangdong is known for producing lychee black tea. It’s ideal for preparing iced tea.
Chai Masala
Although Masala Chai is technically not a tea but a beverage made from black tea leaves, spices, sugar, and milk, pre-made mixes are now available. Assam black tea leaves, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and other spices get used to making Chai Masala, an Indian milk tea. It has a rich, relaxing flavor.
Benefits of black tea
Skin, breast, lung, and prostate cancers get reduced by drinking black tea.
Black tea can help the body eliminate and reduce harmful substances. It may assist in reducing the risk of chronic illnesses in the future.
Flavonoids, another antioxidant found in black tea, are beneficial to heart health. Flavonoids can also be found in vegetables, fruits, red wine, and dark chocolates, in addition to teas.
