What is black tea?
We have been buying black tea directly from the farmers who grow and craft it since 2004. We personally visit the tea gardens and communities; we know the people and the land and are able to select the best harvests. We are proud to supply our black teas to many of the best restaurants and hotels around the world.
What is black tea, exactly?
Black tea is a drink made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis - the same plant that gives us all true tea; black, oolong, green or white. What sets it apart is how the leaf is crafted. The essential steps the fresh green leaves take from harvesting to make a black tea are:
- Withering - to soften the leaf and reduce moisture.
- Rolling - to break the cell walls and expose enzymes to oxygen.
- Firing - heat applied to halt oxidisation at the exact point the perfect flavour is achieved, and to dry the tea.
These processes darken the leaf and produce the rich flavour profiles of black tea.
You'll find a more detailed description of the method here.
Every great teamaker takes these steps with great care and infinite variation, but the leaf they craft varies depending on:
- Where it is grown (terroir)
- How it is grown (farming practices)
- Climatic conditions
- The season and method of harvesting
- Field to field; day to day.
Like the best winemakers or sourdough bakers, it is not a strict formula. The best black tea is guided by a teamaker's senses, expertise, and experience. And that variation is precisely why there is not just one type of black tea, but a whole cornucopia of flavours to explore.
Why is rare loose leaf black tea different from tea bags?
The difference lies in the crafting and the flavour.
Industrially processed black tea churned out by vast machines with little input from a human is the sort of black tea usually found in a teabag.
We source only the best black tea we can find which is crafted by skilled men and women, in small batches, to enhance the most sublime flavours.
Why isn't the best tea black tea found in teabags?
The best black teas need room to unfurl as it infuses to release the best flavours. But more importantly we don't want to add anything to our precious leaves, especially not industrial chemicals, solvents and plastics associated with teabags and their manufacture. Even the most "eco-friendly" add something to your tea that doesn't need to be there.
How is black tea different from green, white, or oolong tea?
Black tea is different from green tea and white tea or oolong in the way that it's crafted. All tea is made from the same leaves of Camellia sinensis, much as all wine is made from grapes. In black tea, the key difference is oxidisation.
Black tea is intentionally oxidised to enhance specific flavour profiles.
- The catechins found in green and white tea are converted through oxidisation into theaflavins and thearubigins, which create a richer, more robust flavour.
- In some black teas, oxidisation creates a strength and astringency that balances beautifully with milk or sugar.
- In others black teas, the oxidisation is much more subtle to produce more elegant and subtle flavours that are best enjoyed with nothing added.
"Fully oxidised" is a phrase you will hear often about black tea. However, it is a perplexing mistake because 100% chemical oxidisation would reduce the leaf to ash.
- Black tea is oxidised to around 80–90%, at which point heat is applied (during the firing process) to stop the enzymatic reaction and dry the tea.
- Oolong is oxidised using more controlled techniques, at a range between 20–80%.
Green tea works in the opposite direction: oxidisation is intentionally prevented.
- Heat is applied shortly after harvesting, before oxidation can begin.
- This keeps the tea green, with fresh and bright flavours, and retains a high concentration of catechins and L-theanine.
White tea is the least processed of all:
- The leaf is withered and dried, with almost no intervention.
- White tea has the most delicate flavours.
One small note on naming: what English speakers call black tea is not what the Chinese call it. In China it is hong cha (red tea) named for the amber colour of the brewed cup. The English name refers to the colour of the dry leaf. Dark tea in China is something else again: pu'er, a fermented tea and an entirely separate category.
