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Black Teas
Black tea is a "true" tea (i.e. Camellia sinensis) made from leaves more heavily oxidized than the white, green, and oolong varieties. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the more lightly oxidized teas.
Black tea retains its flavor for several years. For this reason, it has long been an article of trade, and compressed bricks of black tea even served as a form of de facto currency in Mongolia, Tibet and Siberia into the 19th century. Traditionally, black tea was the only tea known to Western culture. Black tea still accounts for over ninety percent of all tea sold in the West.
The expression black tea is also used to describe a cup of tea without milk (served black), similar to coffee similarly served without milk or cream. In the United Kingdom, black tea is not commonly consumed black, as adding milk is the common practice. |
