BLACK TEA

The most popular tea in the Western world today, Black Tea is the most processed of the tea varieties. Its distinctive flavor comes from the fact that Black Tea does not undergo a steaming process. Rather, it is oxidized: a step in which the leaves are first left to wither, then bruised and rolled so that the natural bacteria and enzymes in the tea leaves bring about fermentation, changing the color of the leaves from green to a dark reddish-brown and developing the distinctive aroma of Black Tea. The most sought-after Black Teas are cultivated in the regions of Darjeeling, Nilgiri and Assam in India, Fujian, Yunnan and Anhui in China, Uva and Dimbulla in Sri Lanka. Teas are graded by the size of the leaf, not the quality, and each name refers to a particular characteristic of the leaf. First flushes often have more subtle nuance in flavor, while second flush teas are prized for their boldness and deep color.