black tea

Also known as “orange pekoe”,“assam”. “Black tea” refers, in the West, to an infusion of fully oxidized (darkened/blackened) tea leaves that produce a dark red or dark brown brew. (In China, this style of tea is known as “red tea”, and black tea is something else entirely.) Practically speaking, “black tea” implies a bold, dark-infusing tea or tea blend of Sri Lankan or Indian origin. Note that terms like “orange pekoe” and “tippy” are leaf grading terms of colonial era origin—there are a slew of them them and they basically map to different sifting sizes. If you wish to pursue best quality, avoid mass market tea bags, which are mainly filled with tea leaf dust and “fannings” (tiny shards), and look for whole leaf teas. Beware of additives and flavorings (unless you specifically want the flavoring—for example, “Earl Grey” is black tea perfumed with bergamote orange).