Do you know the main producing regions of black tea? What are the classifications of black tea? What are the health benefits of black tea? How do the processing techniques differ...
Black tea belongs to the fermented tea category. It is made from one bud and two or three leaves of the tea plant, refined through typical processes including withering, rolling (cutting), fermentation, and drying. It is named for the predominant red color of its dried leaves and the brewed tea liquor.
Main Producing Regions of Black Tea
Zhenghe Gongfu region: Songxi County, Zhenghe County, Fujian Province
Bailin Gongfu region: Fuding, Fujian
Tanyang Gongfu region: Fu'an, Fujian
Dianhong Gongfu region: Fengqing, Yunnan
Qihong (Keemun) Gongfu region: Qimen, Anhui
Ninghong Gongfu region: Xiushui County, Jiangxi
Yihong Gongfu region: Yixing, Jiangsu
Chuanhong Gongfu region: Yibin, Sichuan
Huhong Gongfu region: Anhua, Xinhua, Lianyuan areas in Hunan
Yuehong Gongfu region: Shaoxing, Zhuji, Shengxian counties, etc.
Among Chinese black tea varieties, Keemun Black Tea is the most famous, representing a top-grade Lapsang Souchong known as Junmei. Junmei is further classified into Golden Junmei, Silver Junmei, and Copper Junmei based on leaf quality and picking standards. As China's second-largest tea category, black tea accounts for about 50% of total tea exports, with customers in over 60 countries and regions. Major importers include Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, the UK, Ireland, Canada, Chile, Germany, the Netherlands, and various Eastern European countries.
Classifications of Black Tea
What are the famous Chinese black teas? China produces many types of black tea, widely distributed across regions. These include China's unique Gongfu black tea and Souchong black tea, as well as broken black tea similar to those from India and Sri Lanka.
Souchong Black Tea: Marked the beginning of China's black tea era, originating in the 16th century. The earliest variety was Souchong black tea from the Wuyi Mountain area.
Gongfu Black Tea: A unique Chinese black tea variety and a traditional export commodity. Currently, 19 provinces in China produce tea (including trial regions like Xinjiang and Tibet), with 12 provinces producing Gongfu black tea. Regional varieties include Dianhong Gongfu, Qimen Gongfu, Fuliang Gongfu, Ninghong Gongfu, Xiangjiang Gongfu, Minhong Gongfu (including Tanyang Gongfu, Bailin Gongfu, Zhenghe Gongfu), Yuehong Gongfu, Taiwanese Gongfu, Jiangsu Gongfu, and Yuehong Gongfu. By leaf type, they are divided into large-leaf Gongfu and small-leaf Gongfu. Large-leaf Gongfu is made from leaves of arbor or semi-arbor tea plants, while small-leaf Gongfu uses leaves from small-leaf bush-type tea plants.
Broken Black Tea (Red Crush Tea): Production in China started relatively late, beginning in the late 1950s. In recent years, both output and quality have continuously improved.
Characteristics of Black Tea
What are the processing characteristics of Chinese black tea? After fresh leaves are picked, they are first withered in the air. Then, the tea is processed using one of two methods: the CTC method (Crush, Tear, Curl) or the traditional method. The CTC method is generally used for machine-processing lower-quality teas for tea bags and is effective in producing better products from medium to low-grade leaves. The traditional method is done by machine or hand, with hand-processing reserved for high-quality teas. This method employs different techniques depending on the tea, resulting in the high-quality loose-leaf tea sought by connoisseurs. Subsequently, the leaves undergo oxidation under controlled temperature and humidity. This process is also called fermentation, although no actual fermentation occurs.
Health Benefits of Black Tea
What are the health benefits of black tea? Black tea can aid gastrointestinal digestion, stimulate appetite, promote diuresis, reduce edema, and strengthen heart function. In terms of disease prevention: black tea has strong antibacterial properties; gargling with black tea can help prevent colds caused by filterable viruses, prevent tooth decay and food poisoning, and lower blood sugar and blood pressure. The American Heart Association has concluded that black tea is "one of the beverages rich in flavonoids, which have antioxidant effects by eliminating free radicals, and can reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction."