Our black tea

Where does black tea come from?

All genuine tea varieties, i.e. black, white and green tea, have their origins in the two tea plants Thea assamica and Thea sinensis. More than 4,000 years ago, the Chinese discovered tea as an invigorating and tasty beverage, and over the centuries, the two mother plants have given rise to a wide variety of teas. The difference in tea varieties is therefore not in the tea plant itself, but in the harvesting time and processing - tea leaves for white tea can only be harvested for a short period at a particular time of year.

Tea becomes green tea when the fermentation or oxidation process is interrupted by steaming and roasting the leaves immediately after harvesting. And black tea is created when the tea leaves are allowed to ferment - another complex process in which time is of the essence. Incidentally, black tea got its name thanks to the colour of the fermented tea leaves - only in China is it called "red tea", after the colour of the cup. 

Today, the most important tea growing areas are in India and Sri Lanka: Ceylon, Darjeeling and Assam are among the most famous varieties of black tea and are enjoyed all over the world.
 

Black tea: production

The production of black tea is more than just harvesting and packaging - it involves a complex step-by-step process from the tea plantation to a bag of delicious black tea. During harvesting, the pickers follow the "two leaves and a bud" principle: Only the two freshest leaves and the bud are picked. Depending on the region, harvesting takes place several times a year: In spring, early summer and sometimes in autumn. At the equator, for example, in Kenya, the harvest takes place all year round.

Now the tea leaves have to wilt or dry. The tea leaves are spread out on tables in the sun or in special halls and dried for about 20 hours so that the leaf juices become more concentrated. 

Then it’s time for the rolling, curling or twisting, where the tea leaves are broken up so they can oxidise better. Oxidisation then takes place in a humid environment and lasts for several hours. The tea plantation’s tea master decides when this step is completed.

The oxidised tea leaves are dried in special drum dryers so they contain about three percent residual moisture. 

Before packaging, the tea is sorted. Unwanted parts such as stems are removed and the leaves are sorted according to size. The higher the proportion of whole leaves in the tea, the higher its quality.
 

Preparation of black tea

In Europe, we mostly drink black tea - either as a pure variety or as a delicious, perfectly balanced blend, like the ones you can buy at Schmidt. The preparation of black tea is probably the easiest of all teas, because the robust, aromatic tea tolerates high water temperatures. Try the tea neat, with sugar or honey, with milk or a squeeze of lemon. Enjoying black tea can be a science in itself, and everyone finds out over time how they prefer their tea.
 

  Black tea water temperature:

You can pour boiling hot water (100 °C) over your black tea or wait a short time until it stops bubbling, this can affect the taste.
 

  Black tea brewing time:

It depends on the tea and your taste. For a subtle morning cup, we recommend two to four minutes, and for a slightly richer taste, three to five minutes. Just make sure you don’t let the tea steep too long, because then it will become unpleasantly bitter.
 

  How much tea should I use?

With our black teas, we recommend a heaped teaspoon per cup (150 ml), but again. It’s all a matter of taste. 
 

  The right strainer for black tea:

Any loose tea, including black, needs room to unfold. A large strainer in the cup or pot is perfect for this - tea eggs unfortunately don’t offer enough space. When it comes to material, we recommend stainless steel. Paper filters can retain the aroma and also affect the taste.
 

Storing black tea

Black tea inspires with its strong, extraordinary aroma, which is rounded off by the addition of other ingredients such as bergamot or vanilla. To ensure that your black tea tastes delicious and smells inviting for a long time, it is important that you store it properly. Here are a few tips from the tea experts:

Use metal, stainless steel or opaque glass containers that are airtight. Both light and oxygen can harm the aroma, as can foreign odours. So just in case, don't place your tea caddies near other strong-smelling foods like herbs or coffee. "Store in a cool, dry place" is also a classic tip that we urge you to follow - but not in the refrigerator, because here the tea would absorb moisture and possibly go moldy.

Buy tea in small quantities rather than bulk packages, because over time your tea can lose flavour even when stored properly. Also, this way you can try a new variety more often. You can definitely enjoy black tea from Schmidt for at least two years if stored properly.
 

Caffeine in black tea

It is now a well-known fact that tea also contains caffeine. However, as black tea oxidises, it loses some of its constituents, including caffeine. Therefore, the amount of caffeine in black tea is lower than in green tea.

Try tea as a morning energy source. You'll probably notice a difference from coffee. With coffee, the caffeine kick comes faster, but dissipates just as quickly. Caffeine in tea usually provides you with energy more consistently and for longer. That's because coffee caffeine works in the adrenal cortex, where it affects adrenaline release. Tea caffeine makes a "detour" via the autonomic nervous system, which is supposed to be gentler on the body.

Enjoy Schmidt tea with exquisite specialities from our online store - cakes, gingerbread or cookies. Or give our tea as a gift - as usual, we will gladly take care of the packaging and shipping for you!