Black Tea

Black tea is the most familiar to the Western world — and, paradoxically, the least common in China. Interestingly, it is known there as «red tea» (Hong Cha), because it is the colour of the infusion, not the dry leaf, that sets the tone. What the West calls «Dark» or «Black» tea ([Puer](/knowledge/fermented-tea)) is in turn called «black» (Hei Cha) by the Chinese. The processing follows a clear arc: plucking, withering, rolling (or, in the CTC method, «Crush–Tear–Curl»), full oxidation, drying, grading. During the 4–6 hours of oxidation, the polyphenols of the leaf are transformed into theaflavins and thearubigins — the compounds that give black tea its copper-red to deep dark-brown colour and its full, often malty character. To read more about the plant itself, see [What is Tea?](/knowledge/what-is-tea).  ## Black tea from China While India, Sri Lanka and Kenya are now the world's largest producers by volume, China is the cradle of black tea — and the source of some of the most elegant examples of the category. **Keemun (Qimen Gong Fu)** — From Qimen County in the southeastern corner of Anhui province. Keemun was created in 1875, when a former soldier from Fujian brought black-tea processing back to his homeland. Made from the same varietal as the green Huang Shan Mao Feng. Three main grades: • Keemun Mao Feng — early harvest, lighter, sweeter. • Keemun Hao Ya — stronger, smooth, mellow and sweet. • Keemun Gong Fu — with a high proportion of buds; balanced, fresh, harmonious, with notes of orchid, walnut and a hint of smoke. **[Yunnan Dianhong (Yunnan Gold Needle)](/product/premium-yunnan-gold-nadel)** — From the large-leaf assamica trees of Yunnan province. Increasingly popular since the 1950s. Golden, feather-light leaves rich in buds. Flavour: sweet, malty, with hints of cocoa, honey and raisins. **[Lapsang Souchong (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong)](/product/premium-lapsand-souchong)** — The first black tea in the world, made in the village of Tongmu at 1,100 metres in the Wuyi Mountains. Traditionally smoked over pine wood, which gives it its unmistakable smoky note. Today, unsmoked versions are increasingly prized — with elegant notes of chocolate, cocoa, nuts and even bourbon. **Bohea Lapsang** — A lightly smoked variant. The name «Bohea» derives from «Wuyi» and in 17th- and 18th-century England was the generic term for black tea. **Jin Jun Mei («Golden Beautiful Eyebrow»)** — A modern premium tea from the Wuyi Mountains, developed in 2005. Made only from buds. Delicate, sweet, creamy, with notes of butterscotch, fruit and honey. ## Black tea from Taiwan Although Taiwan is famous above all for its [oolongs](/knowledge/oolong-tea), in recent decades an impressive black-tea culture has emerged — particularly around the Sun Moon Lake. **[Ruby 18 / Hong Yu («Red Jade»)](/product/hong-yun-ruby-18)** — Perhaps the most famous Taiwanese black tea. Cultivar No. 18 was developed by the Taiwan Tea Research Extension Station — a cross between a large-leaf assamica from Burma and Taiwan's native wild mountain tea. In the cup: smooth, silky, malty, with a lightly mentholated note and hints of tobacco, plum and raisin. A tea unlike any other. **[Sun Moon Lake Black](/product/sun-moon-lake-taiwan-native-cultivar)** — From the same region as Ruby 18, made from a native wild-mountain varietal; rich, woody and full of character. **[Mi Xiang («Honey Fragrance» / Golden Bud Honey Scent)](/product/golden-bud-honey-scent)** — Similar to Oriental Beauty, the leaves are bitten by leafhoppers. The plant responds with compounds that give the finished tea its unmistakable honey character. ## Black tea from Japan As black teas have become more popular in Japan, more producers have begun making Wakocha — Japanese black tea. While it still accounts for only a tiny share of Japanese tea production, the results are remarkable. **[Japanese Wakocha](/product/japanese-wakocha)** — The most widely used cultivar for Wakocha is Benifuki, released in 1993 by the research station. It gives floral, sweet, lightly spicy liquors — gentle, velvety, and without the firm astringency of many Indian or Kenyan black teas. Notable growing areas lie in Minamata (Kumamoto) at around 600 metres on volcanic soil, where some plants are up to 90 years old and cultivated chemical-free. ## Preparation Black tea tolerates more heat than any other tea: • Water temperature: 95–98 °C • Steeping time: 3–4 minutes (small-leaf teas 2–3 minutes, large-leaf up to 5 minutes) • Suggested quantity: 2–3 g per 200 ml • Milk or lemon? A Western tradition — the finest Chinese and Taiwanese black teas are best enjoyed unadorned, so as not to mask their complexity. Anyone who has tasted the subtlety of a Keemun Hao Ya or a Ruby 18 in its pure form understands: black tea is so much more than a breakfast companion. Browse our full [black tea selection](/categories/black-tea).