Black teas are left to fully oxidise, have a dark appearance and a relatively stronger flavour which can be malty and/or fruity.

The largest quantities of teas produced worldwide are black. The main producing countries are India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. China also produces them – smoother, sweeter and less astringent. In China, black teas are called red teas (hong cha) due to the coppery colour of the liquor.

To make this type of tea, the leaves usually go through 6 stages: plucking, indoor withering, rolling or cutting, full oxidation, drying and sorting. At the end, the tea is graded, i.e. sorted into pieces of different sizes. The more letters are used in the tea grade (the highest being SFTGFOP), the better the quality of the tea.

Brew them at 95-98°C. The larger the leaves, the longer the brewing time (around 3-5 minutes). You should serve them plain, with milk or paired with red meat dishes.