Black tea

The plant from which black tea is made grows in different regions of the world. At that time, only green tea was known in Europe. The British brought black tea from India, Sri Lanka and Africa, which became increasingly popular.

Only the buds with the two upper leaves of the leaf shoots are harvested. This is followed by the wilting process, during which the water content in the leaves is reduced by around 20%. Rolling then causes the leaf cells to break open and the cell juice to come out. This process is crucial for the color and aroma of the tea. After the fermentation process, the tea leaves are dried in hot air dryers. Drying stops the fermentation process and reduces the moisture content of the leaves to 3-4%.

This preserves the tea and gives it its characteristic dark color. Finally, the leaves are sorted into different leaf qualities.

Nowadays, black tea is available both pure and flavored and is often used as a substitute for coffee due to its caffeine content.