The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| A Guide to Buying and Brewing Black Tea |
| Black tea is the most widely drunk of the six main types of tea and nearly every tea producing country makes it, although many only produce CTC black teas (cut-tear-curl) for tea bags and blends. In fact I'm guessing if you're anything like me, your main memory of tea from childhood was a box of Lipton black tea bags residing on the pantry shelf. |
| It used to be the only choice we had to make was whether to buy a box of 20 or 100 black tea bags. Today, though, we have many more choices and styles of black tea than ever before to choose from, and while we may enjoy the variety it can al- so be confusing and hard to understand what ex- actly that variety encompasses. What exactly should we be looking for when buying loose leaf black tea? How do we know if it's fresh and good quality tea? How do we know what each individual tea should taste like? Some- times the package instructions are vague or not there at all, so how should black tea be prepared, how hot should the water be, how much should I use for one cup or a teapot, and how long should it be steeped? |
| These are all really good questions which I'll help you to answer. There are two types of black tea-CTC and orthodox. CTC teas are mainly used in blends and tea bags, with the tea basically pulverized into small pieces to better fit in tea bags, meant to be strong and robust and steep quickly. Loose leaf orthodox black teas are artisan made, usually in smaller batches and sometimes by hand. This attention to detail brings out the individual characteristics, drawing out and concentrating the flavor and aromas. Every tea maker imparts his unique style when producing ortho- dox teas and together with the unique terroir creates a tea unlike any other. So even though black orthodox teas are produced in many coun- tries, no two, even two with identical styles are ever alike. Because there are no set labeling standards for black orthodox teas, shopping can be puzzling at best and downright confusing at worst, as different countries list different information. So a tea from India will have different information listed than that of China, Sri Lanka, and Kenya, with some offering plentiful information, while others may offer very little on their package labels. Using India as an example, some items you can expect to find on the package label may include the country, specific region, tea garden or estate, year harvested, season plucked, type of manu- facture, and the grade (this is a set of letters that correspond to a set grade, i.e., BOP means broken orange pekoe). The three countries currently using this code are Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. (See our Naming/Grading page for a detailed explanation of the codes and their mean- ing). If all the information was to be included, a typical package label may look like this: Country: India Year harvested: 2011 Specific Region: Darjeeling Season plucked: Spring Tea garden or estate: Singbulli Type of manufacture: Orthodox Grade: SFTGFOP1 Dj18 Because it is a spring plucked tea from Darjeeling you can further assume it is a First Flush Darjeeling. The grade is Special Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe, with the #1 meaning best or superior quality. In this instance it means Supreme. The Dj18 means it was harvested in about the second week of spring and was the 18th lot plucked. So, this label is actually giving you a lot of good information, especially if you're looking for a good orthodox Indian black tea. If you've done a little research (which I always recommend doing before you begin shopping), you already know Darjeeling teas are lively and robust with enticing floral and fruit aromas and that Singbulli estate is one of Darjeeling's finest tea gardens. You'll also know that Singbulli First Flush teas are robust in body with spicy, fruity flavors, and rich aromas. From the label you know it's a spring 2011 made w/the very first buds and leaves, prized for being the most flavorful. With a little research you know Darjeeling can be a little pricey, so it pays to look around and shop and compare online to get an average. If while shopping you can't find everything you need to know, always feel free to call or contact the tea shop or seller. They should be able to answer any and all questions, in a friendly, professional manner. If they can't or don't, go somewhere else, pronto! So, now let's move on to some tips on how to properly brew black tea. Black tea can only be in- fused one time for the most part. So if you were to purchase one pound of loose black tea of your choice, you will get about 200 servings no matter the style. For brewing, the standard measure is 2 teaspoons of leafy or whole leaf styles or 1 teaspoon of broken orange pekoe, orange pekoe, (BOP/OP), or CTC teas per 6 ounces of water. So for an 8 oz. mug you would use 2 2/3 tsp. leafy or whole leaf teas OR 1 1/3 tsp. BOP, OP, or CTC grades. For a 24 oz. travel mug you'll be brewing three times as much, so you would use 2 2/3 TBLSP. leafy black tea or 1 1/3 TBLSP BOP/OP/CTC teas (1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons). To brew a pot of black tea multiply the 8 oz. cup amounts times the number of servings, i.e., For 32 oz. or four 8 oz. servings you would need 4 TBLSP leafy or whole leaf OR 2 TBLSP CTC/BOP/OP tea. |
| The water temperature should be between 190-212F. For small leaf, BOP, OP, or CTC tea grades you should steep for 3 to 4 minutes and for orthodox leafy or whole leaf styles steep 4 to 5 min.. Normally black teas have only one infusion but sometimes you can get a second infusion from large or whole leaf orthodox black teas, especially if the first infusion was short. Once you become familiar with your style of black tea you can experiment to see if you can infuse it twice. Always remember these are suggestions and your individual tastes may be different. You may choose to use more or less tea if it tastes too weak or strong, or change up steeping times either longer or shorter until it truly is "your cup of tea." Enjoy. |
| Copyright 2011 www.theteadetective.com All rights reserved. No reproductions of any kind allowed without permission. |
| For a great selection of quality teas, gifts, and accessories, visit: The Tea Detective's Gift of Tea Store |
| For more information or to learn more about tea, visit our other pages: How do I prevent mold from forming on my new Yixing teapot? Learn how to properly care for, clean, and season your new Yixing teapot, including removing the thin coat of wax sometimes applied during manufacturing and also how to prevent mold from forming. What should I look for when buying a Yixing teapot? A guide and tips for buying a Yixing teapot. Things you should look for such as functionality if using to brew tea, and five price categories from basic to priceless antique pots. What is "terroir" and how does it relate to tea? Learn about terroir, and its importance to the growth of tea. (Try Licorice Tea from Silver Leaf Tea-high quality black tea blended w/soothing licorice root and sambucca. Try this sweet and soothing tea for colds-helps quell sore throats and coughs). How can you tell that Golden Monkey is a relatively new tea? Learn all about China's Golden Monkey tea and why its name is one clue to its newness, produced mainly for export to the U.S., and Europe. (Try Golden Monkey Tea from Silver Leaf Tea - a flavorful, full-bodied black tea w/rich and spicy exotic notes and sweet undertones w/clean refreshing aftertaste). What types of tea grow in Nepal? Explore the types and styles of tea grown in Nepal. Learn why this Himalayan paradise grows a variety of quality teas comparable to India's popular and expensive Darjeelings. |
Receive A Guide To Tea, an 88-page book on the history and enjoyment of tea free with your first Adagio Teas order of $19 or more.
An easy-to-use ingenuiTEA teapot, whose ingenious design has been featured in The New York Times, Time Magazine and HGTV.