All organic black tea leaves are green when harvested. High in the Himalayas, tea pickers are hard at work, plucking only young and the most flavorful leaves from the plant, called Camellia sinensis.Although tea plants flourish in tropical climate, the best organic black teas are those grown in high altitudes where the clouds and cool mountain air comfort the tea plant and moisturize its leaves.

After the tea leaves are picked, they are inspected and sorted and withered. All of this is done by hand. As water from the leaves evaporates, the natural process of fermentation begins to take place. Fermentation, also known as oxidation, is the reason why organic black tea is black.

Unlike the fermentation done with wines, tea fermentation does not produce alcohol. Instead, enzymes naturally contained in the leaves are released, oxidizing the leaf in the process and turning it brown just like a tea leaf in the fall when it changes color from green to brown.

By increasing heat and high humidity in a process called firing (the leaves are exposed to high temperature over fire or commercial ovens), the fermentation of organic black tea accelerates. As a result of these conditions, it is only a matter of hours before green tea is turned to what is known as organic black tea.

There are several different types of organic black tea. They are called ‘organic’ because they were purely grown organically, without the use of chemical fertilizers or commercial pesticides. The types of organic black tea depend on the name of the region where the Camellia sinensis plant is grown.

Below are the top of three organic black tea valued for their rich taste and color.

Keemun

Considered by most to be the finest of Chinese black teas, Keemun organic black tea is actually a style of tea rather than the name of a region. Keemun is grown in many regions of China and Taiwan.

Because of its smooth taste and aromatic flavor, Keemun organic black tea is often referred to as the “Burgundy” of teas. Chinese Keemuns are especially rich and flavorful. Higher grades of Keemun are also sweet, fruity, and pleasantly full-bodied with a delicate smoky nuance.

Keemun is great by itself. But if you want a slightly different taste, the tea also goes well with a bit of milk and sugar.

Darjeeling

Named for the Darjeeling province in northeast India, this fine drink is another organic black tea worth trying. Often referred to as the “Champagne of teas,” Darjeeling is praised for its aroma and delicate flavor.

Incidentally, the Darjeeling region also produces excellent green and Oolong teas – both known for their delicate tastes.

The organic black teas are delicately flavorful but still full-bodied and succulent with a wide range of flavors from floral to nutty and sometimes with subtle muscatel notes.

Lapsang Souchong

Another organic black tea from China and Taiwan, Lapsang Souchong is also a style of tea with an intensely strong smoky flavor that many find, if not particularly delicious, then intriguing.

The flavor is produced by drying the leaves over a smoldering pine fire. This organic black tea is made from larger leaves that contain lower amounts of caffeine, making it a popular evening drink.

Lapsang Souchong is not for everyone’s palate. If you want to experiment a little with your organic black tea, try some and decide for yourself.

Black tea is a favorite ingredient in making gourmet type teas or flavored teas. One of the most popular favored teas is black forest tea. Below are our top picks for black forest tea:

HonestTea.com – Black Forest Berry

Black Forest Berry is an herbal fruit infusion containing natural black tea. Sweet and succulent, whoever thought something as delicious as this could also be healthy?

This black forest tea contains some of the best sources of antioxidants in the world – organic cane sugar, organic hibiscus, organic blackberry leaves, organic blueberries, organic raspberries, and natural berry flavoring.

EnglishTeaStore.com – Black Forest Naturally Flavored Black Tea Loose Leaf

The English Tea Store’s black forest tea hints at a piquant and astringent chocolate flavor with cherry undertones and creamy notes. Their black tea is a naturally flavored black tea, using natural high grown Ceylon tea from estates at more than 5500 feet above sea level. To give a clean true taste with no chemical aftertaste to their black forest tea, a natural flavor is added.

ZooScape.com – Black Forest Tea (Loose)

It’s like a dessert in a cup! Imagine a fine cup of Ceylon tea, naturally high grown, with natural organic flavors to make sure that there’s no chemical aftertaste. The result is black tea with a characteristic chocolate-cherry flavor. Just add a dash of milk, and you’re off to a fantastic start.

Directions – How to Make Black Forest Tea

So you bought yourself a nice bag of black forest tea. Now it’s time for you to get a-brewing. Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil and place 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot.

Cover and let steep for 3/7 minutes according to taste. The longer the steeping time, the stronger the tea. Even though milk and a dash of sugar help enhance the flavor and character of your black forest tea, it is perfectly acceptable to consume this tea “straight up.”

Another method is to make yourself a cup of iced black forest tea. Just place six teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Next, pour 1 ¼ cups of freshly boiled water over the tea and let steep for about 5 minutes.

Afterwards, quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water and pour the tea into it, straining the leaves as you go. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water.

Make your Own Cup

Who said you can only find black forest tea from the tea shop? Hey, if you can make your own black forest cake at home, then there’s no reason why you can’t brew your own cup of this wonderful dessert drink.

Just follow this recipe for a real chocolatey-fruity treat:

• 6 oz. hot black tea
• 2 tbsp. chocolate syrup
• 1 tbsp. maraschino cherry juice
• whipped cream
• chocolate shavings
• maraschino cherries

To prepare, just mix the black forest tea with syrup and juice in a mug. Stir well then top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and cherries.

Of course, that’s only a legend, but as history would have it, tea (the loose leaf variety was obviously the first type of tea made) goes way back nearly 5,000 years ago in China, though whether or not it was indeed discovered by the Emperor himself remains to be proven. Still, you can see how much tea has to offer – the history of human culture, no less!

All tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, an evergreen plant growing in warm weather. What determines the resulting types of teas is the processing of the fresh leaves from the tea plant. During oxidation, the tea leaves undergo natural chemical reactions that result in distinctive taste and color characteristics of the different tea types.

Green tea is not oxidized at all, so you can count on it for delicate taste and refreshing flavor. The leaves are merely steamed, rolled, and then dried.

Loose leaf black tea, on the other hand, is allowed to fully oxidize. The oxidation process of tea leaves takes about two to four hours. Afterwards, the leaves are then rolled and dried and the resulting loose leaf black teas are then packed into different shapes and sizes.

Oolong tea, the other popular Asian tea type, falls somewhere between green and black teas, in that the leaves are only partially oxidized.

In the early history of tea drinking, tea was produced and prepared in the loose leaf style. Court Society in China’s Song Dynasty particularly favored loose leaf black tea because of how the delicate character and distinctive taste of the tea was preserved.

During that time, other tea styles also flourished, including bricks and powdered tea. However, after 1391, Emperor Hung-wu, the first Emperor of Ming Dynasty, decreed that tributes of tea to the court were to be changed from brick to loose leaf form.

This imperial decree quickly transformed how people drank tea in China, changing whisked teas to steeped teas. In addition, loose leaf black tea also required the creation or use of new vessels.

For instance, to steep the tea leaves properly, the tea pot was needed. Unlike in powdered or brick form where the tea leaves are merely whisked in the drinking vessel, the very nature of loose leaf black tea makes it impossible to perform the infusion in the same vessel.

To get the proper concentration of loose leaf black tea, a tea pot had to be used and the tea must be kept warm at all times. The tea pot also comes in handy to separate the leaves from the infusion.

Another vessel created as a result of the loose leaf style is the tea caddy. Tea and containers are necessary because they contain the loose leaf black tea and in the process conserve its flavor. This was, after all, the reason why Chinese courtiers preferred loose leaf black tea.

The following are some of the results of a decade’s worth of studying the health benefits of loose black tea:

• Reducing arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Containing antioxidants that remove free radicals from the body
• Reducing the risk of blood clot and the hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
• Reducing the risk of heart diseases and stroke
• Reducing the harmful effects from cigarette smoking
• Reducing high blood pressure and bad cholesterol in blood
• Keeping fluid balance and relieving fatigue
• Reducing arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Awakening thought with its high caffeine content
• Boosting your immune system
• Aiding in cancer prevention and reducing tumor growth
• Supporting liver protection and relieving stress
• Providing oral care and natural fluoride which helps prevent cavities and tooth decay
• EGCG from tea has been reported to block the spread of HIV (AIDS virus)

Although some of these research results about the benefits of loose black tea are new and need further study to verify, it’s most positive health benefits are great enough for you to make the healthy decision of drinking tea everyday.

What makes it so good?

The degree of processing determines whether a tea will be green, black or red. Green teas are the least processed. They are simply steamed quickly before packaging. Loose black teas, on the other hand, and red teas are first partially dried, crushed, and then fermented.

The fermentation process is actually the reason why black tea is black and red tea is red, differing only in how long and how fully the leaves are allowed to oxidize. Because loose black tea is fully oxidized, the resulting taste is often richer and more aromatic compared to the delicate taste of green tea.

In fact, loose black tea is so tastefully intriguing that people have been comparing its unusual taste to wine and whiskey. Why? Because like wine and whiskey, loose black tea improves in taste with age.

Before, scientists used to suspect that the polyphenols in tea get destroyed when the leaves undergo full oxidation. However, new research has shown that regardless of the processing method, all teas, whether loose black tea, green, or red, contain polyphenols.

Polyphenols are what makes tea so beneficial to us. Like all other antioxidants, this substance helps protect cells from the normal, but damaging physiological process known as “oxidative stress.” Although oxygen is vital to life, it may also cause the production of highly reactive substances called “free radicals” which are the responsible for cell damage.

Polyphenols found in loose black tea have been shown to have a beneficial effect in preventing free radicals from creating its slow chain reaction of damage. In fact, many studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of polyphenols in loose black tea.

They can stop the damage that free radicals do to cells, neutralize enzymes essential for tumor growth, and deactivate cancer promoters.

The whole ceremony is summarized in the following excerpt of a lesson taught by tea master Sen no Rikyu to his students in 16th Century Japan:

• “Make a delicious bowl of tea;
• Scatter the charcoal pieces
• In such a way as to heat the water;
• Arrange the flowers
• As if they are in the fields;
• In the summer, evoke the coolness,
• In the winter, heat;
• Always anticipate the weather;
• Be prepared for rain;
• Have every possible consideration for your guests.”

The simple art of chanoyu is really a synthesis of many Japanese arts with the focus of preparing and serving a bowl of tea with a pure heart.

Sen no Rikyu’s style of chanoyu was called the wabicha, reflecting a simple and quiet taste. It applies the principles of Wa Kei Sei Jaku, representing four great virtues of Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility. The Wabicha style of Chanoyu is the simple style of tea that is practiced and taught in Japan and throughout the world today.

But what many fail to understand is that the Japanese tea ceremony is not the elaborate ceremony that we all think it is. Tea is nothing more than boiling water, making tea, and drinking it. A simple experience, yet deeply profound. You, too, can practice it. All you need are a few Japanese black ceramic tea sets.

Below are our top picks when it comes to Japanese black ceramic tea sets:

NextTag.com

This online shop features several Japanese black ceramic tea sets, including Japanese cast iron pot tea set made of Black Arare, Black Square, or Green Bamboo. You can also find high quality porcelain tea sets, depicting pictures of elegant cherry blossoms or plum blossoms, and 5-piece tea sets.

EnjoyingTea.com

When it comes to tea sets,EnoyingTea.com has the best Japanese black ceramic tea sets around. Here, you can see a wide variety of ceramic, porcelain, cast iron Japanese tea sets.

They offer Japanese black ceramic tea sets with traditional design and tea sets made from sturdy iron with enamel coating on the interior. Their tea sets have been praised for their beauty, strength, and super quality.

TheFrangrantLeaf.com

Another great shop for Japanese black ceramic tea sets is the Fragrant Leaf. Their ceramic teapots and tea sets all have an elegant design with a distinctive Asian flair. One of their Japanese black ceramic tea sets is the Serenity Teapot Honeydew, one of their stonewear teapots from For Life Design.

The teapot includes many convenient features such as a built-in infuser, a spout design that ours evenly and a tight-fitting lid that won’t fall off. The removable stainless steel mesh infuser also makes for easy brewing of your favorite loose-leaf tea.

Fantes.com

Fantes.com features Japanese black ceramic tea sets and tea pots with cozy. The teapots come with exotic floral designs or elegant black. Their Japanese black ceramic tea set measures 6 inches overall with a 5-1/2-inch round base and an 8-1/2-inch handle to spout.

Information on black tea will tell you that the leaves used are more heavily oxidized than the white, green, and oolong varieties. For this reason, black tea is generally stronger in flavor and emits a more distinctive aroma. In addition, black tea also contains more caffeine than any of its lightly oxidized cousins.

There are several varieties of black tea. Information on black tea will tell you that these varieties are named after the region where they were produced. Like wine, black teas produced in one region have a characteristically different flavor compared to black teas grown in other regions.

The varieties of unblended black tea include:

Lapsang Souchong

Lapsang Souchong was grown originally in Mount Wuyi, Fujian Province in China. Though the tea plant is a warm-weather perennial, growers of Lapsang Souchong believe that the humidity of the mountaintops and the low clouds soothe the tea leaves, producing the best quality black tea.

Information on black tea will tell you that Lapsang Souchong acquires its unique smoky taste, not from the fact that they are grown in a mountain area, but from the drying method used – burning over pine.

Keemun

Produced in Qimen, precinct of Anhui province in central China, Keemun black tea is known for its winey and fruity taste with depth and complexity. Like Lapsang Souchong, this black tea type also has a hint of pine in its flavor and floweriness, but not at all as florid as Darjeeling tea. This information on black tea will tell you that Keemun black tea’s taste is very distinctive and well balanced.

Dian Hong

Used mostly in blends, Dian Hong is gourmet black tea made from the golden tips (or buds) of a young tea plant. Finer teas of this variety have a sweeter taste but gentler aroma.

The color is somewhat different from other black teas in that Dian Hong is brassy gold but without any astringency.

Information on black tea will tell you that Dian Hong is grown in Yunnan Province in China and is one of the oldest tea types in the world (nearly 1,500 years old).

Ying De Hong

From Guangdong province in China, information on black tea will tell you that Ying De Hong tea. Ying De Hong was first produced mechanically in 1959. Many people consider it poorer quality compared to other Chinese black tea types, however, if processed correctly, the Ying De Hong could actually yield a cocoa-like aroma that can be very appetizing. Like all black teas, Ying De Hong teas also has a sweet aftertaste.

Assam

From Assam, India, Assam black tea is black tea with a truly “black tea taste” – that is, it is full bodied and strong. Information on black tea will tell you that Assam teas are actually grown at sea level, which might account for its briskness and malty flavor. If you think the astringency is too strong for you, add milk to remove its bite.

Since the fermentation process used to make black tea converts EGCG into other compounds, researchers assumed that the health benefits of black tea were lesser compared to those of green tea. However, recent studies indicate otherwise.

The health benefits of black tea could be attributed to compounds contained in the drink. They’re called theaflavins and thearubigens and scientists say they can do more than contribute to the tea’s dark color and distinctive flavor.

They also provide the health benefits of black tea which were originally attributed solely to green tea. But before you start drinking black tea by the buckets, it’s important to remember research on the health benefits of black tea is still in the early stages.

“Although numerous observational studies have examined the relationships between tea consumption and the risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer, there is no conclusive evidence that high intakes of tea are protective in humans,” writes Jane Higden, a research associate with the Linus Pauling Institute, in a recent article.

Research on Black Tea

One of the first studies on the health benefits of black tea was a long-term research conduced by scientists at the Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment.

According to them, they have found a correlation between regular consumption of black tea and reduced risk of stroke.

In the investigation, researchers looked at data from a study examining the health benefits of foods that are high in flavonoids. This previous study on phytonutrientswith antioxidant benefits became the basis of their own study on the health benefits of black tea.

They knew that while some of the flavonoids are obtained from fruits and vegetables, about seventy percent actually came from black tea. And so based on this fact, they decided to look into the effects of flavonoids in black tea by examining 552 men over a 15-year period.

After the study was finished, the researchers concluded that the flavonoids in black tea helped reduce the production of LDL – the bad cholesterol that can lead to stroke and heart attacks.

Furthermore, men who drank over four cups of black tea per day had a significant lower risk of stroke than men who drank only two to three cups per day.

In a separate study at Boston’s School of Medicine, Dr. Joseph Vita also studied the health benefits of black tea and came up with results that corroborated the findings of Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment.

To arrive at his conclusion, Dr. Vita studied for four months sixty-six men who drank four cups of either black tea or a placebo daily. After four months, Dr. Vita concluded that drinking health benefits of black tea can help reverse an abnormal functioning of the blood vessels that can contribute to stroke or heart attack.

Now, more than ever, people have come to realize that flavored black tea is more than just delicious tea, but something that has the potential to be a dietary regular as well.

Classic and endearing, the great thing about black tea is that it undergoes full oxidation (commonly called “fermentation”), and because of that, they are richer in color, flavor, and are higher in caffeine than any other tea.

They are also aromatic and spicy, truly appealing to your taste buds with its distinctive scent and flavor. Because of this, they are considered as the most popular teas out of all Asian tea types.

Black tea comes from the same plant, called Camellia sinensis, as green tea. The only difference between the two is how the leaves of the plant were processed. While black tea is first withered, rolled, fermented, then dried, green tea is merely mildly steamed, which accounts for its delicate taste and its rich antioxidant content.

However, if you want tea that really gives your palate a nudge, flavored black teas are a unique choice. Not only that, but like green and white tea, flavored black tea also contains valuable antioxidants and other beneficial properties.

Similar to wine (which is another product of fermentation), flavored black tea gets better with age. After drying and fermentation, the leaves of black tea are usually packed together into different shapes and sizes.

To preserve their flavor, they are placed in a dry and well-ventilated area. Flavored black teas are not particularly choosy when it comes to temperature, so for as long as the storage place has good ventilation, then you shouldn’t worry about temperature when storing black tea.

Black tea drank alone can be quite intriguing. Depending on the region where your black tea comes from, the taste could range from very strong to fruity.

Souchong black tea from Wuyi mountain city in Fujian province, China, has a pine-smoking fragrance that is much different than any other black teas of the world. According to different producing area, Souchong black tea can be further classified into three types:

Tongmugaun Souchong produced in Tongmugaun county, Lapsang Souchong produced in Chong’An, Jianyang, Guangzhe, and Xingchun Souchong, produced in other areas around Xinchun town of Chong’An county.

Another black tea type is Congou black tea which actually evolved from Souchong black tea. This type of black tea is quite famous and includes the following: Qihong of Anhui (Keemun black), Dianhong of Yunnan, Suhong of Jiangsu, Chuanhong of Sichuan and Huhong of Hunan.

The third type of black tea is called broken flavored black tea or graded black tea. It can be whole leaf black (short strip shape), broken leaf back (with small grain shape), Fannings black (with small slice shape) and dust black (with powdered shape).

Emperor Shen Nung in 2737 B.C. was boiling some water for drinking one day when some leaves of a nearby plant fell into his pot.

After drinking the beverage, the emperor became so enchanted by its delicious smell and taste that he began urging his people to drink it.

The plant of course is the common tea plant, Camellia sinensis. And drinking tea was soon elevated from just another normal everyday occurrence to an art form and a form of alternative medicine.

From that single drink, Chinese tea evolved into some 15,000 known varieties. Depending on how it is processed, tea falls loosely into six categories, white, yellow, green, oolong, red (known as black tea in the West), and Chinese black tea.

As implied from its name, brewed Chinese black tea ranges in color from a dark reddish brown to black. One of its unique characteristics is that it mellows with age and grows richer and deeper in flavor. You probably heard how wine becomes better with age. With Chinese black tea, you will experience the same thing.

Vintage varieties of Chinese black tea are superlative. They boast of flavors and aromas that conjure up the same adjectives used to describe fine wine or whiskey. Unlike green tea, its much more popular cousin, Chinese black tea is richer in flavor and more full-bodied.

Some varieties have even a certain spice to their tastes. To be sure, the tea has the most intriguing taste out of all tea varieties.

Storing Chinese black tea is simple. Just keep it in a well-ventilated place. The tea doesn’t even require temperature regulation. Unlike other teas, Chinese black tea comes in compressed cakes of various shapes and sizes.

Sometimes, they’re round. Sometimes, square. Other times, they may even be fashioned into bamboo-like tubes. Truly like wine, black teas differ subtly in flavor and aroma depending on where they were grown and how long they have aged.

“Although tea-drinking has long been a global trend, interest in black tea has soared in the past two or three years,” explains Shaojun Luo, chairman of the China National Center of Quality Supervision and Inspection of Tea.

“China’s well-to-do are passionate about buying black tea. Still, with such limited quantities produced, vintage Chinese black tea is very hard to come by.”

All teas are green from the start. By steaming these green tea leaves and leaving them to ferment naturally, Chinese black tea is produced. But how did the drink acquire its characteristic color? The process actually involves the workings of molds, such as aspergillus and penicillium, and in that respect, is much like making cheese.

Although Sichuan is credited as the first main district that produced Chinese black tea, the history of the beverage remains integrally linked to Tibet, Mongolia, and the Uyghur people of northwestern China.

In these areas, drinking Chinese black tea is synonymous with health and going without it for even a day is to invite illness.

Like all typical teas, China black tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant grown originally in the Yunnan Province of China and available only for export to the foreign markets.

Today, China black tea is still a favorite among tea drinkers, especially the English where black tea is constantly the main ingredient in English tea breakfast.

The Chinese call it hong cha because of the color of the infused liquid and the red edges of the oxidized leaves. At one time, it is said that China black tea was considered of lesser quality and not desired by the Chinese themselves, and was therefore exported.

This is probably why, to this day, black tea is what everyone outside of China thinks of when talking about tea, whereas, tea in China is understood to mean green tea. Regardless, the black teas of today have come a long way from being considered as low quality tea.

Antoher name for China black tea is Congous – its name in the international tea trade business. The name actually comes from the Chinese term gong fu or kung fu. Northern Congous are also referred to as Black Leaf Congous, “the Burgundy of China teas”, and Southern Congous as Red Leaf Congous, “the Claret of China teas.”

How to Make China Black Tea

The first step in making China black tea after plucking the leaves is to allow them to wither. Next comes rolling, the purpose of which is to break open the surface of the leaves and allow the remaining moisture or sap to escape and coat the surface of the leaves.

This sap is what contains the polyphenols or tannins, which are said to be powerful antioxidants and give teas their health benefits.

After rolling, the leaves are exposed to the air and controlled conditions of heat and humidity to oxidize or ferment them. In the process, the polyphenols are oxidized as well and transform into compounds called theaflavins, which gives the leaves a bright coppery red color.

Another chemical reaction occurs and the theaflavinsform into another compound called thearubigins, which ultimately render China black tea its final dark brown or black color.

The theaflavins are also associated with the “brisk” flavor and brightness of China black tea. The thearubigins, on the other hand, are responsible for the tea’s strength and color. After a few hours, when oxidation is complete, the aroma of China black tea changes from a “leafy” smell to a “fruity” one.

The last step is drying and firing. This is when China black tea is subjected to extreme heat – sometimes in an open fire – in order to change the color of the leaves to its characteristic black color.

China Black Tea Types

• Ching Wo (Fujian Province) – includes Lapsang Souchong and Panyang
• Dayeh (Yunnan Province)
• Dian Hong (Yunnan Province)
• Hainan (Island of Hainan, South China Sea)
• Keemun (Keemun County, Anhui Province) – includes Mao Feng, Hao-Ya, and Ji Hong
• Orange Pekoe
• Pingsuey (Lung Ching, Hangzhou district of Zhejiang Province)
• Yi Chang (Hubei Province)
• Yunnan
• Zao Bei Jian (Sichuan Province)