Facts About Black Tea

In all the media attention on how tea drinking can help prevent disease and, in some cases, even reverse it, black tea seems to be the least mentioned, even though it has many of the same beneficial properties that are found in green tea and white tea, and it is a relatively unknown fact that black tea come from the same plant as white and green teas, but is simply harvested and processed differently.

Black tea is actually the tea that most people think of when they think about a cup of tea and is the most common and popular tea around the world. It is also the base from which the different well-known English teas are derived from. Black tea is also the proper term that should be used when referring to the type of tea that is most frequently referred to simply as regular tea.

The Camellia sinensis is a shrub-like perennial evergreen plant that is native to certain provinces in China, but which also grows in other areas of the world, but most commonly in the Asian area. The tea is made from drying and fermenting, therefore oxidizing, the leaves of this evergreen and the result is a tea stronger in flavor than green, while or oolong classes of tea which are less oxidized.

The result is a tea that generally has a richer color, a stronger, fuller flavor, and is less astringent and bitter and so the taste is better geared toward the Western palate. In addition to more flavor, black tea also contains more caffeine than is found in the teas with less oxidation, and it is the tea most often blended with other plants and teas to create many different varieties that are enjoyed.

When referring to coffee that is served without cream or milk, the term "black" is often used. And, this muddles references to black tea at times, since blank tea could mean both the drink made from the specific tea variety, and can also refer to a tea being taken black, or without added milk. Commonly, in Britain and countries influenced by British culture, their black tea is served with milk.