Premium black tea

Hey, welcome to Friends of Tea! Here you'll find a selection of high-quality black teas from India, Nepal and Taiwan. We'd also like to tell you more about the history, cultivation and processing of black tea!

Black tea, often also called red tea in Asia, is the most widely drunk tea in Europe and large parts of Asia. It became popular thanks to its full-bodied, sweet taste and how easy it is to prepare.

The origin of black tea

Originally, small quantities of black tea were grown only in China and imported to Europe by the colonial power Holland. But the English quickly acquired a taste for it too and planted the popular tea in their colonies India and Sri Lanka. The British were the first to focus heavily on growing black tea, on the one hand to become independent of the Chinese tea market and on the other to cater to the tastes of the European market.

How black tea is made

The basis for black tea is, of course, the leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis. To make black tea really nice and black, the leaves are withered after being carefully harvested, and then the cell walls of the tea leaves are broken open by gentle rolling. With high-quality black teas such as the Imperial Black, the leaves are only torn on the surface and not cut up, so the leaves stay nice and large. When the cell sap escapes from the leaves, it reacts with the air and an oxidation process begins. After a while, the leaves have turned red-brown.

The oxidation, i.e. the reaction between cell sap and oxygen, is stopped after a few hours, depending on the tea master's decision, and the tea is finally dried once more.

Storage and shelf life

Stored correctly, good black tea can keep for up to two years and even longer. Above all, it's important to store the tea cool and airtight. But not in the fridge, as moisture can get in there, which can lead to mold. Black tea should also always be kept dry and dark to prevent the tea leaves from spoiling.

One more little tip: it's best not to put your tea in the spice rack. It spoils faster there, and the tea leaves, which become porous, also readily absorb other flavors.

The right preparation

For about 175 ml of water, use two teaspoons of black tea. The water temperature should be between 95°C and 100°C. Two minutes of steeping time is enough to achieve a nutty and aromatic taste. The longer the tea steeps, the more intense the taste. With high-quality black teas such as our Imperial Black, you can also make two infusions. In that case, however, the tea should steep one to two minutes longer.