The Chinese call it hong cha (red tea), but don’t let the name confuse you. China black tea couldn’t be any farther in both taste and color from what Westerners call “red tea” - roibboos tea.

Like all typical teas, China black tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant grown originally in the Yunnan Province of China and available only for export to the foreign markets. Today, China black tea is still a favorite among tea drinkers, especially the English where black tea is constantly the main ingredient in English tea breakfast.

The Chinese call it hong cha because of the color of the infused liquid and the red edges of the oxidized leaves. At one time, it is said that China black tea was considered of lesser quality and not desired by the Chinese themselves, and was therefore exported. This is probably 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. Regardless, the black teas of today have come a long way from being considered as low quality tea.

Antoher name for China black tea is Congous - its name in the international tea trade business. The name actually comes from the Chinese term gong fu or kung fu. Northern Congous are also referred to as Black Leaf Congous, “the Burgundy of China teas”, and Southern Congous as Red Leaf Congous, “the Claret of China teas.”

How to Make China Black Tea

The first step in making China black tea after plucking the leaves is to allow them to wither. Next comes rolling, the purpose of which is to break open the surface of the leaves and allow the remaining moisture or sap to escape and coat the surface of the leaves. This sap is what contains the polyphenols or tannins, which are said to be powerful antioxidants and give teas their health benefits.

After rolling, the leaves are exposed to the air and controlled conditions of heat and humidity to oxidize or ferment them. In the process, the polyphenols are oxidized as well and transform into compounds called theaflavins, which gives the leaves a bright coppery red color. Another chemical reaction occurs and the theaflavins form into another compound called thearubigins, which ultimately render China black tea its final dark brown or black color.

The theaflavins are also associated with the “brisk” flavor and brightness of China black tea. The thearubigins, on the other hand, are responsible for the tea’s strength and color. After a few hours, when oxidation is complete, the aroma of China black tea changes from a “leafy” smell to a “fruity” one.

The last step is drying and firing. This is when China black tea is subjected to extreme heat - sometimes in an open fire - in order to change the color of the leaves to its characteristic black color.

China Black Tea Types

* Ching Wo (Fujian Province) - includes Lapsang Souchong and Panyang

* Dayeh (Yunnan Province)

* Dian Hong (Yunnan Province)

* Hainan (Island of Hainan, South China Sea)

* Keemun (Keemun County, Anhui Province) - includes Mao Feng, Hao-Ya, and Ji Hong

* Orange Pekoe

* Pingsuey (Lung Ching, Hangzhou district of Zhejiang Province)

* Yi Chang (Hubei Province)

* Yunnan

* Zao Bei Jian (Sichuan Province)

Posted by admin in Health

Direct Import From China Is There A Wrong Approach
Imported goods from China used to be much more difficult than it is now. Buying direct from China was pretty much impossible for normal business people, let alone consumers. Now there are more and more people profiting from china wholesale products in every sort of China Black Tea business, and they're not all huge bulk buyers like Wal-Mart. In fact, the great opportunities for you importing direct from China exist in covering the product areas that are NOT already owned by larger players. Read on at Direct Import From China

Information on Black Tea
... tea's taste is very distinctive and well balanced. Dian Hong Used mostly in blends, Dian Hong is gourmet black tea made from the golden tips (or China Black Tea buds) of a young tea plant. Finer teas of this variety have a sweeter taste but gentler aroma. The color is somewhat different from other black teas in that Dian Hong is brassy gold but without any astringency. Information on black tea will tell you that Dian Hong is grown in Yunnan Province in China and is one of the oldest tea types in the world (nearly 1,500 years old). Ying De Hong From Guangdong province in China, Ying De Hong was first produced mechanically in 1959. Many people consider it poorer quality compared to other Chinese black tea types, however, if processed correctly, the Ying De Hong could actually yield a cocoa-like aroma that can be very appetizing. Like all black teas, Ying De Hong teas also has a sweet aftertaste....

The China English Tea Set
... tea sets opened to a much higher level of fame achieved by most of the tea companies. As a typical set or group of things intended for a sole purpose, the China English tea set is mostly composed of tea pots, tea cups, mugs, and other tea accessories and utensils with different patterns. As such, many of the China English tea sets are collected by most people for future tea times and to create an elegant tea time. For further information, the China English tea set just like some of the tea sets offered by most companies has accompanied prices for each China English tea set. And since the China English tea set is noted for its intricate designs and patterns, most of the China English tea set is highly priced. One of the most favored China English tea sets is the Aurora China English tea set. In such kind of China English tea set, there are two classifications that exhibit some differences...

Black Rum Tea
... black tea so wonderful with another popular beverage - rum. Below are our top picks for black rum tea: StashTea.com - Jamaican Butter Rum Tea The Jamaican butter black rum tea at StashTea.com is a fine blend of Ceylon, Indian, and Chinese black teas and combined them with natural rum, sweet butterscotch, and creamy caramel flavors. The result is a rich and aromatic black rum tea with a slightly sweet taste, perfect as a dessert tea. For a special taste treat, add a splash of milk and some sugar into your cup. GlenbrookFarm.com - Caribbean Rum Tea Another good China Black Tea brand of black rum tea is Glenbrook Farm's Caribbean black rum tea. The black tea used is fine Assam, flavored with aromatic rum for that perfect tropical island hint in your cup of tea. Glenbrook Farm...

Chinese Black Tea
... tea, you will experience the same thing. Vintage varieties of Chinese black tea are superlative. They boast of flavors and aromas that conjure up the same adjectives used to describe fine wine or whiskey. Unlike green tea, its much more popular cousin, Chinese black tea is richer in flavor and more full-bodied. Some varieties have even a certain spice to their tastes. To be sure, the tea has the most intriguing taste out of all tea varieties. Storing Chinese black tea is simple. Just keep it in a well-ventilated place. The tea doesn't even require temperature regulation. Unlike other teas, Chinese black tea China Black Tea comes in compressed cakes of various shapes and sizes. Sometimes, they're round. Sometimes, square. Other times, they may even be fashioned into bamboo-like tubes. Truly like wine, black teas differ subtly in flavor and aroma...

English Bone China Tea Cup
... cup contains in excess of 50% calcium phosphate derived from ox bone while the United Kingdom's legal definition claimed that the English bone china tea cup only contains 30% of calcium phosphate. The English bone china tea cup is actually considered as hybrid hard-paste porcelain that contains bone ash. It is also noted that the English bone china tea cup formula is composed of six parts of bone ash, four parts of china stone, and three and a half parts of china clay. The English bone china tea cup is also considered as a special variation of china ware with its bone ash from animals that are added to traditional porcelain ingredients. With those compositions, the English bone china tea cup is harder and...

Loose Leaf Black Tea
... whisked teas to steeped teas. In addition, loose leaf black tea also required the creation or use of new vessels. For instance, to steep the tea leaves properly, the tea pot was China Black Tea needed. Unlike in powdered or brick form where the tea leaves are merely whisked in the drinking vessel, the very nature of loose leaf black tea makes it impossible to perform the infusion in the same vessel. To get the proper concentration of loose leaf black tea, a tea pot had to be used and the tea must be kept warm at all times. The tea pot also comes in handy to separate the leaves from the infusion. Another vessel created as a result of the loose leaf style is the tea caddy. Tea and containers are necessary because they contain the loose leaf black tea and in the process conserve its flavor. This was, after all, the...

Flavored Black Tea
... tea is more than just delicious tea, but something that has the potential to be a dietary regular China Black Tea as well. Classic and endearing, the great thing about black tea is that it undergoes full oxidation (commonly called "fermentation"), and because of that, they are richer in color, flavor, and are higher in caffeine than any other tea. They are also aromatic and spicy, truly appealing to your taste buds with its distinctive scent and flavor. Because of this, they are considered as the most popular teas out of all Asian tea types. Black tea comes from the same plant, called Camellia sinensis, as green tea. The only difference between the two is how the leaves of the plant were processed. While black tea is first...

Asian Black Tea Set
... tea set collection. BluemoonTea.com also offers White Bamboo on Blue Tea Cup with Infuser, Forest Rose Tea Cup with Infuser, Lotus Tea Cup with Infuser, Sage Floral Covered Bowl, Spring Teapot Set, and Red Blossom Tea Set. SensationalTeas.com The Japanese have used Tetsubin teapots for centuries to brew their finest teas and add artistic elegance to their household as well. Each Tetsubin teapot at SensationalTeas.com is hand cast, as well as hand finished, and fitted with a stainless steel mesh infuser basket. As part of their wide collection of Asia black tea sets, SensationalTeas.com offers the Large Hira which is a stunningly elegant, and very rare, large capacity Tetsubin Hira. The teapot can hold 40 oz. and comes 5-7 cups all covered with elegant charcoal black exterior and a distinctive "hob nail" design. To complete the look, this Asian black tea set is lightly washed with...

Black Dragon Tea
... less aromatic version of black tea, then black dragon China Black Tea tea may well suit your palate. How Black Dragon Tea is Produced Made from the partially oxidized leaf of the Camellia sinensis, the plant where all tea types come from, the leaves used in making black dragon tea range in size from young to fully mature. Often, black dragon tea is baked or roasted after being fully dried to produce a mellower but richer flavor. Traditional oolong teas come from China and are oxidized and roasted, producing a darker, strong tea. These include Tie Guan Yin or the "Iron Goddess"; Fuo Shou or the "Buddha Hand"; and Monkey-Picked, and Wu Yi Oolong. Next to China, black dragon tea is also quite popular in Taiwan where it is produced in great numbers. Taiwan black dragon tea are highly esteemed for their smooth flavor which they say is...

Organic Black Tea
... inspected and sorted and withered. All of this is done by hand. As water from the leaves evaporates, the natural process of fermentation begins to take place. Fermentation, also known as oxidation, is the reason why organic black tea is black. Unlike the fermentation done with wines, tea fermentation does not produce alcohol. Instead, enzymes naturally contained in the leaves are released, oxidizing the leaf in the process and turning it brown just like a tea leaf in the fall when it changes color from green to brown. By increasing heat and high humidity in a process called firing (the leaves are China Black Tea exposed to high temperature over fire or commercial ovens), the fermentation of organic black tea accelerates. As a result of these conditions, it is only a matter of hours before green tea is turned to what is known as organic black tea. There are several different types of organic black tea. They are called 'organic' because...

Black Tea
... flowery aftertaste or as blatant as the color of the brew. What Separates China Black Tea Black Tea from Other Teas? Black tea has always been valued for its unusually flavorful taste and rich color and aroma. But if all tea types come from the same plant, what makes black tea stand out? What gives it its distinct flavor? Why is it darker in color? The difference may come from where which part of the plant is used to make the tea. In the case of white tea, the leaves used are those found only on the branch tips, particularly the leaf bud and possibly the first two leaves under the bud. That actually accounts for the extremely delicate taste of white tea. On the other hand, black tea is made from the mature leaves of Camellia sinensis. The leaves are fully developed. When steeped and processed, the resulting flavor has a natural tang and loaded with richness. Another...

China Adoption
... note that travel is only required for one parents, as opposed to other countries that require couples to travel. This does not, however, end the chance for both parents to travel and create a bond with the child, as the China adoption program strongly encouraged parents to travel. In addition, one trip is only required and the parent(s) is only allowed to stay and bond with the child for a length of about two weeks. The process involved in China adoption is just so simple, with all those requirements mentioned above. What usually happens when considering an adoption from China is China Black Tea that the parents are required to submit an application for China adoption, directly to the CCAA. Your agency can do this for you. Then, once the application is approved, it is the CCAA also that will match the application with a child whose paperwork has been forwarded to the organization through a Civil Affairs Bureau....

Lecithin China
... soy oil, fatty acids, or calcium chloride to the product in order to reduce the viscosity to that of honey and prevent it, on cooling, from becoming a highly plastic solid. Lastly, the lecithin China product is film or batch dried to reduce the moisture to as little as 1%. Functions Since its discovery in the 1930s, lecithin China is ubiquitous in the processed food supply. As an emulsifier, it is often used in margarine, peanut butter, chocolate candies, ice cream, coffee creamers, and infant formulas. In addition, because of its keeping abilities, lecithin China also helps prevent product spoilage, extending shelf life in the China Black Tea marketplace. Lecithin China is also handy around the industry kitchens where it is utilized in improving mixing and speed crystallization. As one of the few emulsifiers in the market considered by the US Food and Drug Administration as Generally Regarded As Safe for use, lecithin...

Black Tie Tuxedo
... as tuxedo in Canada and the US as a tuxedo, and as smoking in Japan and Europe. It is sometime lightheartedly referred to as penguin suit in reference to the bird's colors. Today, black tie tuxedo is required in several different functions with the female attire ranging from long gowns to cocktails dresses, all depending on the local practices, and the time of the function. Even if you haven't ever been to a formal gathering, it is still highly advisable that you invest in a black tie tuxedo. You wouldn't know, the next invite you get may just ask you to don your penguin suit. Black tie tuxedo would mean a black cummerbund and a lake tie. Of course a black dinner jacket would be a good choice as well. Black tie tuxedos can be worn...