Ceylon black tea, like other “true” tea types, comes from the tea plant called Camellia sinensis. But what sets black tea apart from its cousins is the way it is processed.

Where green tea is steamed but never oxidized, and white and Oolong teas are only partially oxidized, black tea undergoes full oxidation. After picking, the leaves of the tea plant are withered, rolled, and fermented for a number of hours before the black tea is finally dried and packed into different shapes and sizes.

This unique processing method actually accounts for the stronger and more flavorful taste of Ceylon black tea. The way Ceylon black tea is packed is also another reason why its flavor is longer-lasting, making them excellent products for export and shipping.

There are several varieties of black tea. The main difference is in the places or regions where the tea plants are grown. Like wine regions in France, Australia, and California, black tea that come from one region has slight characteristic differences from black tea grown in other regions.

Because of this, black tea types are often named after the name of their growing region in order to make it easier to identify them by association.

With the advent of the Internet buy black tea, the mechanics of shopping has experienced a drastic change. We now find ourselves facing a universe of shopping opportunities and ease with which we can find our favorite buy black tea products, sometimes at a substantial discount from their normal retail prices.

But for aficionados of premium teas, including green, white, oolong, or black tea, the Internet offers an added enticement. Now, you can shop the finest black tea emporiums in the world from the comfort of your favorite chair.

While it’s true that you won’t be able to buy black tea and at the same time actually smell and taste the fine Ceylon teas they offer or create your own tea blend of fine Assam with natural flavors right on the blending table, but you will certainly enjoy access to an astounding array of beverage choices.

Besides choices, choices, and more choices, another advantage you can enjoy if you buy black tea online is your ability to learn as you go. This is particularly enticing for novice tea drinkers who want to know as much about this culturally valued drink as they can.

The basis of black tea nutrition is simple but true: Antioxidants promote well-being. The more antioxidants you consume, the better to boost your body’s natural disease prevention processes.

The Camellia sinensis plant where black tea and all other “real” teas come from has leaves rich with antioxidant-acting phytochemicals called polyphenols. This means that black tea nutrition beverages are good sources of antioxidants for your body.

History records tea as long as four, nearly five, thousand years ago. According to one Chinese legend, the Emperor Shen Nung was boiling water one day when the leaves of a nearby plant fell into the pot. This created the first pot of tea.

In the new millennium, scientific evidence is supporting the link between black tea nutrition and health benefits. Besides polyphenols, black tea nutrition is also a source of several major antioxidants, including flavonoids, which could neutralize the free radicals in the body, helping to maintain healthy cells and tissues.

Flavonoids are special phytochemicals found not only in tea leaves, but in apples, onions, and other fruits and vegetables as well.

Tea is only second to water as the most commonly consumed beverage in the world. In case you haven’t noticed, black tea health benefits this is good news because based on several recent studies; tea actually offers important health benefits.

All tea come from the same plant, called Camellia sinensis. The tea plant is an evergreen perennial that grows in warm weather. For decades, tea made from Camellia sinensis has been studied for their health-improving properties.

The first tea to be studied was green tea, which is known for its cancer-fighting benefits. However, recent research shows that any tea – including oolong and black tea – derived from the leaf of the Camellia sinensis plant have similar cancer-fighting properties.

Black tea health benefits owe much to the presence of polyphenols in the leaves of Camellia sinensis. Scientists used to believe that black tea contains little polyphenols, if not, none at all.

That’s because the processing method used in black tea, called fermentation or oxidation, causes the polyphenols to react, transforming them into compounds that do not quite have the same health-giving effect as polyphenols.

But later research soon dispelled that notion and so, black tea health benefits now include the disease-fighting polyphenols.

For thousands of years, the Chinese people have been drinking black tea healthy because of its refreshing and soothing effects. Like all three of the major Asian teas in the market, black tea comes from the plant called Camellia sinensis. But the difference between the tea types lies in how the leaves are processed, not on where they come from.

In the case of black tea, the leaves are first dried and then fermented. Black tea undergoes full oxidation, which actually accounts for its aromatic and rich taste. Compared to green tea and oolong or black dragon tea, black tea has a fuller taste and tastes better with age.

However, black tea is not only known for its intriguing flavor (comparable to wine!). New research suggests that it may be a major contributor of health-promoting nutrients in the U.S. diet.

Black tea health benefits lies in the presence of flavonoids in tea. Before, scientists believed that the process of fermentation changed the beneficial flavonoid polyphenol in black tea into another form, which is not thought to have any beneficial effects at all.

However, newer studies showed that polyphenol or not, black tea health benefits can certainly do you a lot of good.

Black tea caffeine was first discovered in 1827. Called theine, the substance was known to have very similar effects as caffeine in coffee. Eventually, it was shown that theine of tea was actually identical to caffeine, and since then, the term has been dropped.

The relief from fatigue we find in drinking tea can be attributed to its caffeine content. Black tea caffeine is a stimulant that has been shown to increase speed in reaction time, increase alertness, and improve concentration.

The physical effects include stimulation of digestive juice, the kidneys, and the metabolism in ways that possibly help eliminate toxins. An increase of mental alertness, shortening of reaction time, and improving efficiency of muscle action is brought about by caffeine’s stimulation of the heart and respiratory system, bringing more oxygen to the body.

A recent study on coffee shows that caffeine helps improve brain power performance and can be quite healthy, helping reduce the risk of heart disease and countless other diseases. However, because the study is still very new, the findings remain largely uncorroborated by other studies.

Dieticians still warn against the bad effects of caffeine when consumed in large quantities. Because of its stimulating effects, caffeine can lead to heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and insomnia.

Sweet and spicy. A hint of chocolate. The sweet fragrance of orchids. These distinctive flavors are what set black tea apart from other teas. Don’t get me wrong though. All of four types of tea – white, green, oolong, and black – come from the leaves of the same plant, Camellia sinensis, but there are differences that may be as subtle as a hint of flowery aftertaste or as blatant as the color of the brew.

What Separates Black Tea from Other Teas?

Black tea has always been valued for its unusually flavorful taste and rich color and aroma. But if all tea types come from the same plant, what makes black tea stand out? What gives it its distinct flavor? Why is it darker in color?

The difference may come from where which part of the plant is used to make the tea. In the case of white tea, the leaves used are those found only on the branch tips, particularly the leaf bud and possibly the first two leaves under the bud. That actually accounts for the extremely delicate taste of white tea.

Black tea has always been an all-time favorite. With its uniquely distinctive taste (both aromatic and flavorful), black tea certainly has a way with getting under your taste buds.

To make black tea’s taste even more stimulating, a lot of people have tried experimenting with its flavor. As a result, flavored black tea was created, and one of the most popular varieties of flavored black tea turned out to be black rum tea.

What is Black Rum Tea?

Black rum tea is exactly what its name suggests. It is black tea combined with a bit of rum to make your tea experience more interesting. Black tea has always been a favorite, especially in the U.S. market. Black rum tea combines all the distinct characteristics that make black tea so wonderful with another popular beverage – rum.

Below are our top picks for black rum tea:

StashTea.com – Jamaican Butter Rum Tea

The Jamaican butter black rum tea at StashTea.com is a fine blend of Ceylon, Indian, and Chinese black teas and combined them with natural rum, sweet butterscotch, and creamy caramel flavors.

Oolong means “black dragon.” So when someone talks to you about black dragon tea, don’t immediately conclude that he’s talking about the rich and flavorful Chinese black tea you’re used to. Chances are he’s actually referring to the more delicate but equally flavorful oolong tea.

Because of the way black dragon tea is processed, it is sometimes called partially fermented tea or semi-green tea. It is a tea that combines some of the best qualities of both black and green tea.

If you value green tea for its delicate taste and health benefits, then you are sure to find that black dragon tea is just as delicate but with a characteristic fruity taste commonly associated with fully fermented black tea.

But if you prefer a slightly less aromatic version of black tea, then black dragon tea may well suit your palate.

How Black Dragon Tea is Produced

Made from the partially oxidized leaf of the Camellia sinensis, the plant where all tea types come from, the leaves used in making black dragon tea range in size from young to fully mature. Often, black dragon tea is baked or roasted after being fully dried to produce a mellower but richer flavor.

Easily distinguishable by the strong perfume of Black Currant Tea buds and leaves, the black currant has long been valued for its various medicinal properties.

The herb grows wild in the damp woods of middle Scotland, but is considered to be a true native of Yorkshire and the Lake District only.

Black currant tea made from an infusion of the leaves is said to have diuretic and cleansing properties. On the other hand, black currant tea from the herb’s young roots is useful in eruptive fevers. The tea is also said to be excellent lozenges for inflammatory sore throats.

Below are some of our top picks for black currant tea:

Zooscape.com – Black Currant tea Flavoured Black Tea

Imagine a black currant tea bush full of berries. Gather the berries and make fine juice out of them. Then add a dash of the fruity juice to your high grown Ceylon tea from estates more than 5500 feet above sea level, and you have yourself a cup of fine, clean, and healthy black currant tea.

Zooscape offers their black currant tea in loose or decaffeinated forms.