What is Black Tea
Black tea is a fully fermented tea. Contrary to its name, it has a red tea soup. Black tea requires withering, rolling, fermentation and drying. For the special “Souchong black tea”, two extra procedures are needed: hot pot frying and steam baking.
About 78% of the entire world's total tea consumption is black tea. Black tea, or as it is known in China - hong cha (red tea), was originally only for export to the foreign markets. In China it is called red tea due to the color of the liquid or to the red edges of the leaves, as opposed to the color of the main body of the processed tea leaves. At one time, Black tea was considered of lesser quality and not desired by the Chinese themselves, and therefore was exported. Which is why, to this day, Black tea is what everyone outside of China thinks of when talking about tea, whereas, tea in China is understood to mean Green tea.
About 78% of the entire world's total tea consumption is black tea. Black tea, or as it is known in China - hong cha (red tea), was originally only for export to the foreign markets. In China it is called red tea due to the color of the liquid or to the red edges of the leaves, as opposed to the color of the main body of the processed tea leaves. At one time, Black tea was considered of lesser quality and not desired by the Chinese themselves, and therefore was exported. Which is why, to this day, Black tea is what everyone outside of China thinks of when talking about tea, whereas, tea in China is understood to mean Green tea.