Black tea is a special variety of tea that is far more oxidized than the other green tea, oolong tea and white tea varieties of tea.

Loose Leaf Black Tea

All four varieties are cultivated from leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Black tea is stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than less oxidized teas.

In China and culturally influenced countries, black tea is known as “crimson tea” (紅茶, Mandarin Chinese hóngchá; Japanese kōcha; Korean hongcha), an even more accurate description of the color of the liquid. The name black tea, however, could also alternatively be in reference to the color of the oxidized leaves. In China, “black tea” is a commonly used classification for post-fermented teas, such as Pu-erh tea. However, in the Western world, “red tea” more commonly refers to rooibos, a South African tisane.

Unlike green tea which usually loses its flavor within a year, black tea keeps its flavor for several years when stored properly. Because of this reason, it has long been an article of trade, and compressed bricks of black tea even served as a form of bardering currency in Mongolia, Tibet, and Siberia into the 19th century. Known to the Tang Dynasty that black tea steeped in hot water could also serve as a passable cloth dye for the lower classes that couldn’t afford better quality clothing colors of the time.

Cup of Black Tea

Most of the tea originally imported to Europe before the 19th century was either green or semi-oxidized. Only in the 19th century would black tea surpass green in popularity for Europeans. Although green tea has had a recent revival due to its purported health benefits, black tea still accounts for over ninety percent of all tea sold in the West.

Note: The expression “black tea” can also be used to describe a cup of tea without milk being added (”served black”), similar to coffee served without milk or cream.