2/3/2019 0 Comments Down to a T - Black TeaGeneral Info Origin: Camellia sinensis assamica Taste: malty, smoky, brisk, earthy, spiced. Caffeine level: strong, most of the time. Storage: Store somewhere cool and dark, away from spices, coffee or anything that could alter the flavor. Best before: One to two years. Most popular:
Black tea is the most popular type of tea in America. It accounts for over 90% of all tea sold in the West. That is why I decided to focus on black tea for this second installment of my Down to a T series. If you haven’t read the first post of this series, which was all about green tea, you can find it here. I start most of my days with a small cup of black tea. Since I don’t drink coffee and black tea has caffeine in it, it is my way of quickly waking up. I usually add a splash of milk and enjoy my warm drink while I’m getting ready or having breakfast. Black tea is extremely versatile; it is the base of many tea blends and tea-based beverages. History Just like green tea, black tea comes from a plant called Camellia sinensis. Originating from India, it thrives in a warm and humid environment. There are two varieties of this plant; Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and Camellia sinensis var. assamica, which has larger leaves and is used to produce black tea. Currently, India, Sri Lanka and Africa are the top 3 largest producers of black tea. In the 19th century, black tea was used for trading in many countries, mainly in Mongolia, Tibet and Siberia. Compressed into bricks, it was given in exchange for other goods, like gold, medical manuscripts and porcelain. The reason behind this is not that black tea is particularly precious or rare, but simply because it conserves its flavor for many years, which means it was a respectable article of trade that wouldn’t lose its value. Moreover, because black tea can stay fresh and flavorful for such a long time, producing countries, like the ones mentioned above, started exporting it to Western countries. That is why black tea is so popular today. Usually, unblended black tea is given the name of the region it was produced in. For example, Assam tea comes from Assam, India. Even though all black teas come from the same plant and undergo roughly the same process, they all have their own characteristic taste. Some are more earthy, or strong and spicy, while others are fruity and sweet. Each region has its own way to cultivating and drinking black tea, and that is something that cannot be overlooked. In China, black tea is referred to as red tea. Here, red tea means rooibos tea, which is something totally different. It can be confusing, but it is important to respect the fact that each variety of tea has its own customs. The making Black tea is the most oxidized type of tea. While green tea’s oxidation process is halted almost immediately, black tea is nearly completely oxidized. After being harvested, the leaves are quickly withered with air, and then processed following one of two methods. The orthodox method, which is made by hand or with the help of a specially designed machine, creates high quality loose leaf tea by heavily rolling each leaf. The CTC method (CTC stands for crush, tear, curl) completely crushes the leaves, producing a very fine dust that will be used for tea bags. The leftovers from the orthodox method are often fed to this method to be turned into dust. The leaves are then oxidized, on the floor or on a conveyor belt, with an air flow that allows control of the temperature and humidity. The oxidation process naturally begins as soon as the leaves are start getting rolled or crushed, so it is important that the two stages are done quickly, to ensure controlled oxidation and a high quality tea. The whole process is usually completed in a single day. The leaves are finally dried to halt the oxidation process, and sorted into grades. The grading of tea has four scales; “whole-leaf teas”, also called “orange pekoe”, which are considered to give the highest quality tea; “broken leaves”, followed by “fannings”, which are usually made into bagged tea; and finally “dusts”, which give tea bags with really harsh brews. The two lower grades, “fannings” and “dusts” give a tea that is very dark in color and that isn’t sweet. Black tea should be brewed at about 90-95˚C, for about 3 to 5 minutes. The longer you let your tea steep, the stronger it will be. That being said, don’t make the mistake of letting your tea steep forever because you want it to be strong; tea that has brewed for too long becomes bitter, and you lose the delicacy of the flavors. Usually, about 4 g of tea should be used per 200 ml of water. For a quick reminder of how to brew the perfect cup of tea, print out my Tea Cheat Sheet. Proper Use Black tea is used as a base for many different beverages, the most popular being Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Chai tea. All teas made from black tea are actually pretty similar, but they each have their own characteristic taste. Earl Grey is a blend of black tea with bergamot, which is a type of orange from Europe. In England, in the 1800’s, it was used as a dupe to the more expensive tea from China. English breakfast tea is simply a blend of black tea, originally made with Ceylon, Kenyan and Assam tea. It is very popular in the British tea culture and is reputed to go well with a substantial English breakfast, which is where it gets its name. It is very similar to Irish breakfast tea, which is mainly made with Assam tea and is then a bit stronger. Both are made to be drunk with milk or sugar (but, come on, milk is so much better). Finally, Masala chai is black tea to which have been added various spices and milk. Originally from India, this tea is obtained by pouring milk, sugar, cardamon and ginger over black tea leaves (typically Darjeeling) steeping in hot water. Depending on where it is made, the mix of spices may also include cinnamon, cloves and black peppercorn. The original Indian version is spicier than the sweet, Western version. Once the mixture is hot and has been steeping, the leaves are removed with a strainer, and the concoction is ready to drink. In America, Masala chai is often associated with Christmas because of its spicy flavor, and can be found in bag form, which roughly imitates the taste of true Masala Chai. Last but none the least, black tea is also the classic base for iced tea because of its clean and robust flavor. Classic iced tea is simply made by brewing a small amount of tea, and then adding ice to fill the cup. The ice will melt in the warm liquid, turning it into a refreshing summer beverage. A lot of people also add sugar, for a sweeter flavor. No matter how you drink it, black tea is always a classic and elegant choice. It marries well with so many different types of food, and the list of drinks you can create from it is endless. Don’t be scared to experiment and discover the many properties of black tea. I hope that you guys enjoyed this post! I certainly had fun writing it. Don’t forget to check out my Instagram to be notified of every change on the blog and for more tea inspiration. Until next time. Much love, -TM- References:
Teatulia.com/tea-varieties/what-is-black-tea.htm Teaclass.com/lesson_0207.html Pureleaf.com/us/the-best-black-tea-for-iced-tea Historyonthenet.com/mongol-trade-linking-east-to-west
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