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This deep amber-hued variety has a deep, hearty taste, and accounts for most of the tea (90%) that Americans consume.

The production of Black Tea (Red Tea)

Making black tea is more complex and time consuming. The freshly plucked leaves are brought to the tea factory (which is often located on the tea estate, or very near many small farms.) After arrival, the leaves are laid out on screens fitted to long wooden boxes referred to as withering troughs. Here the leaves wither, as air passes through and over the leaves, removing approximately 60% of its moisture content over the next 12-18 hours before the leaves are rolled. Rolling disturbs the cellular structure of the leaves, thus releasing enzymes present in the leaves that combine with poyphenols and other properties in the leaf, allowing the characteristic flavors of black tea – ranging from flowery to fruity, nutty and spicy – to emerge. Next the teas are moved on to the next stage called fermentation, which is actually the oxidation of the tea constituents. The tea is spread in layers of about 4 inches to oxidize. These chemical interactions between the various parts of the plant alter the leaf from a green color to coppery red, brown, and finally a nearly black color. After the desired amount of oxidation has been reached, the tea is fired in large ovens, using air that has been heated to 210-250 degrees Fahrenheit. This dries the leaves to an ideal 3% moisture. The flavorful juices dry on the surface of the leaves and remain stable until exposed to boiling water during infusion.

The last step, involves sorting the leaves by size. During the production process, many tea leaves are broken or crushed so that the finished tea consists of full leaves, broken leaves and smaller particles (fannings). Since the necessary steeping time increases with the size of the leaf, the tea must be sorted into lots of equal leaf size.

Some of the world’s finest black teas are produced in India (Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri), Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and China.


Black Teas This deep amber-hued variety has a deep, hearty taste, and accounts for most of the tea (90%) that Americans consume. The production of Black Tea (Red Tea) Making black tea is more complex and time consuming. The freshly plucked leaves are brought to the tea factory (which is often located on the tea estate, or very near many small farms.) After arrival, the leaves are laid out on screens fitted to long wooden boxes referred to as withering troughs. Here the leaves wither, as air passes through and over the leaves, removing approximately 60% of its moisture content over the next 12-18 hours before the leaves are rolled. Rolling disturbs the cellular structure of the leaves, thus releasing enzymes present in the leaves that combine with poyphenols and other properties in the leaf, allowing the characteristic flavors of black tea – ranging from flowery to fruity, nutty and spicy – to emerge. Next the teas are moved on to the next stage called fermentation, which is actually the oxidation of the tea constituents. The tea is spread in layers of about 4 inches to oxidize. These chemical interactions between the various parts of the plant alter the leaf from a green color to coppery red, brown, and finally a nearly black color. After the desired amount of oxidation has been reached, the tea is fired in large ovens, using air that has been heated to 210-250 degrees Fahrenheit. This dries the leaves to an ideal 3% moisture. The flavorful juices dry on the surface of the leaves and remain stable until exposed to boiling water during infusion. The last step, involves sorting the leaves by size. During the production process, many tea leaves are broken or crushed so that the finished tea consists of full leaves, broken leaves and smaller particles (fannings). Since the necessary steeping time increases with the size of the leaf, the tea must be sorted into lots of equal leaf size. Some of the world’s finest black teas are produced in India (Assam, Darjeeling and Nilgiri), Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and China.