Black Tea
红茶
Tea TypesDefinition
In trade terms black tea is fully oxidized: the leaves are withered, rolled to break their cell walls, then left in a warm humid room until the leaf turns coppery before a final drying. That full oxidation builds the malty, fruity and sometimes smoky compounds behind the body of Assam, Darjeeling and Keemun. Watch the naming clash — English "black tea" is 红茶, literally "red tea," named after the liquor, while Chinese 黑茶 refers to post-fermented dark teas such as pu-erh.
Etymology
European traders named it for the near-black dry leaf; Chinese named the same tea for the red-orange liquor it brews. The two conventions still collide on translated tea menus.
In use
Used in the West as the default meaning of "tea," and in any comparison where a fully oxidized, robust cup is the reference point.