You have no doubt heard of “black tea” and “red tea” without distinction, leaving you wondering whether they are the same thing or whether we are dealing with two different drinks.

Both answers are actually true, but we are here to sort out the confusion about it, so just bear with us a moment longer.

It’s a common misunderstanding, a little bit linguistic and a little bit cultural. And a little bit also because chance has a hand in it.

Black tea and red tea are actually the same thing: in Western countries we call it “black” because we refer to the color of the leaves. Black tea is in fact oxidized, and the very process of oxidation causes the leaves to take on a color ranging from dark brownish to black.

In the East, on the other hand (in China in particular) they call it “red tea” because they refer to the color of the infusion, which is precisely orange/reddish.

It does not help at all then that there is also another type of “red tea” (and this is where “chance” or, if you like, poor imagination in the choice of names comes in). This is rooibos, which, although undoubtedly bright red, is actually not even a tea (in the sense that it is not derived from camellia sinensis), but a root from South Africa: it has a sweetish taste, contains no caffeine and is very rich in minerals.

In short, it is quite normal for it to generate some confusion.

If you have any other questions or curiosities about tea, let us know in the comments below!