Black Tea

Black tea or also translated to red tea (Hong Cha), is a kind of tea that is completely oxidized, one speaks of oxidation from 85%  to 100% . Black tea is generally stronger in taste than other teas.

While green tea usually loses its flavor within a year, black tea retains its flavor for several years.

Black tea will also be infused much more warm than green tea. Usually one uses a water temperature of 95°C to 99°C depending on the type of tea and your taste preference. The hotter the water, the faster the bitter flavors are released.

How is black tea made?

Blackened in four steps: thinning, rolling / rolling, oxidizing and drying. First, the leaves are spread on braided bamboo dishes to dyeing.

When they have thinned enough, they are rolled. This will bruise the leaf and release the juices and oils from the leaf. These will eventually contribute to the final color and taste of the tea. The rolling also determines the shape of the leaves and this also affects the taste and sharpness of the tea.

Then the rolled leaves are spread out in cool and humid areas and are then exposed to oxygen for about 8-12 hours. This will cause chemical changes in the leaves to oxidize and discolor them from green to coppery red.

Finally, the fully oxidized leaves are dried to stop oxidation. The most common method uses conveyor belts through which warm air is blown to dry the leaves.

As a final step, the leaves can also be roasted. Traditionally, this can be done over longan wood. This gives that nice fruity roasted aroma.