I Heard that Black Teas can be as Healthy as Green Teas...but Which Black Tea Is BEST?
There is a lot of enjoyment to get from Black Teas and a whole lot to know and appreciate…Black Teas are Flavorful AND Healthy…
Most of us grow up with at least some exposure to tea…some more than others. Like many other things, since we have seen tea and likely consumed it at some point, we think we understand tea…that we know all about it…everything we need to know.
Actually, not quite. In fact, not even close. Black teas are a great example to start with. Black teas are, well, black tea, right? Yes, true enough; however, what we don’t realize when we casually refer to black tea is that we are speaking of a category of tea with a wide range of varieties, which creates diverse characteristics in the tea for us to discover, enjoy, and benefit from.
To understand the differences in black teas, we start with what black tea actually is…
To understand tea and black tea in particular, we begin with oxidation. With tea, oxidation is a natural process that begins when the tea leaf is plucked. We have all observed oxidation first-hand when eating an apple. We take a bite and set the apple on the table for a few moments while we type a few more words, read a little more, take a sip of our tea, or whatever it is we are doing. By the time we reach for the apple for another bite, we notice the broken edges are already turning brown…ah-ha, oxidation.
During oxidation, chemical changes within the tea leaf alter the characteristics of the leaf material, ultimately providing the ingredients we steep into our cup. In the tea biz, we say that Oxidation Defines Black Tea. It defines black tea, but does not necessarily describe its color, aroma, taste, or flavor.
You see, the definition of black tea is tea that is fully oxidized. Black tea is technically any tea that is fully oxidized, regardless of where the tea came from or what other things were done during or after the processing of the tea leaves, as long as the leaves have been fully oxidized, they are Black Tea.
About those health benefits...
We know that black tea is fully oxidized. During the oxidation, something more than the cup character is changing...with the shift from unoxidized green to fully oxidized black, the health strengths of the tea change from higher immunity strength green tea to higher cardio-beneficial black tea.
The shift in health strengths renders these more oxidized teas highly beneficial, like green teas, but with different concentrations of bioactive compounds that target some bodily systems more than others.
Imagine we have tealeaves that have been harvested in, say, India, Nepal, China, or Kenya. Suppose they were harvested in the mountains a mile high, or in a humid jungle environment…In thin mountain soil or rich volcanic river valley soil.
Now consider the processing of the leaves, the techniques developed by Tea Masters over decades, generations, and maybe in some cases over centuries…now you are starting to get the idea.
The variation in the leaf material, heavily dependent on the specific conditions where the plants were grown, the terroir, combined with cultural variation in tea processing innovation, yields the range of variety we experience from unique growing regions around the world. This is true of all teas, not only of black teas.
We categorize black teas into classifications: Single Origin Teas, Estate Teas, Blended Teas, and True Artisan Teas. These classifications tell us more about the tea and give us insight into the story of each tea.
Throughout tea history, man has learned how to take tea ingredients, the organic compounds Mother Nature creates by combining the sun's energy with ingredients from the environment and the DNA of the tea plant, and manipulate them to create the leaves we steep into our marvelous tea.
This transformation comes down to managing the chemical changes in the tea plant that normally occur during oxidation. Creating tea, however, is very far from normal. By managing the leaves, from growing in the garden to your cup, the skilled tea processor can influence the briskness, strength, thickness, aroma, taste, and flavor of your black teas...amazing...like magic!
The tea plant, Camellia sinensis, continues to receive more validation of its health benefits, now proven by dozens of studies over decades. From the unoxidized whites and greens to the fully oxidized blacks, with the oolong and dark teas in between, Camellia sinensis supports our natural systems and is good for our overall well-being.
Tea IS 10,000 Medicines...
Shop All Black Teas...
A cup of black tea is no simple matter. Controlling the growth of the tea, the harvesting, and the processing can yield endless combinations, which becomes the intrigue that compels us to explore more black tea...
The next time you steep a brilliant cup of black tea...smell the wet tealeaves and the aroma drifting from the surface of the broth...look for notes of caramel & burnt sugar...toast, bread crust, and dinner roll...we call it Biscuity...impossible not to love.
As tea drinkers, we then have the privilege of exploring the black teas of the world, appreciating the uniqueness created by the Tea Masters of the famous growing regions.
The differences between high mountain and low-grown teas, hand-crafted and machine-processed teas, and the nuances created by skilled craftsmen await us. As you explore, you will find delicate black teas that produce golden cups and robust black teas that produce deep red and brown broths. The dramatic difference in the broth color exemplifies the range of cup characteristics we will encounter in our enjoyment of black teas.
Determining which is best depends on how you enjoy your black tea, and which teas enamor you the most. Chances are, once you begin exploring and enjoying the range of black teas available...your pleasure in the variety will likely grow...
With black teas, we will find a glorious variety and be treated to many health benefits…As far as which is the best black tea…that decision becomes personal…and not so easy.
Enjoy the challenge, and the journey finding your favorite…And to think…some people believe black tea is JUST black tea…
