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Black Tea Popularity

If you ever had a cup of tea, it most likely was a variety of black tea. This type of tea comes from the same plant that gives us our green, oolong, and white tea, but is the most fermented out of the four which gives the leaves a blackish appearance.
Countries like Kenya, Uganda, and Sri Lanka all produce black type of tea, but it is India that produces the most. At the time of this writing, it is estimated that around 850,000 tons of tea is being processed each year in India, and it is because of this that this tea type remains the worlds most consumed tea, especially in America.

The black type remains popular since it is found in most tea bags and chilled in bottles, and in the summer is often used to brew iced tea as well. Companies like Lipton and Tetley feature blends of Ceylon, Assam, and Kenya black teas in their products, and since over 85% percent of tea is brewed by bag in both America and the United Kingdom, it puts this tea type number one over its three cousins, oolong, green, and white teas.

Popular varieties are Earl Grey, English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast. Irish Breakfast is a blend of tea leaves, yielding a citrus aroma and taste, while English Breakfast is a Keemun Chinese black variety giving a deep malty and smoky flavor. Earl Grey tea is generally made with black tea infused with orange bergamot oil.

Aside from the information mentioned above, this tea also offers many health benefits that are very close to its green tea sibling. Now while more studies have been conducted with green tea, that doesn't necessarily mean that it is better than black. The only difference is that green tea is processed less which in turn allows the leaves to keep more of their antioxidant properties. But this difference isn't major!

A study out of Rutgers University reveals that drinking black tea can help prevent breast, stomach, and prostate tumor growth due to a compound in the tea called TF-2. This compound has shown to cause cancer cells to "commit suicide", while normal cells in the body remain unaffected.

A related 10-year study from the Netherlands has revealed that men who drunk just three cups of black tea a day reduced their risk of heart disease by 50%. Like green tea, consuming black can also help burn off calories, lower cholesterol, destroy free radicals, and even prevent tooth decay. Black tea does contain about double the amount of caffeine than green tea, but has half the amount when compared to a regular cup of coffee.

This tea has a more appealing taste for some folks, while green tea may take some getting used to. Brewing any tea using whole loose leaves is the best way to achieve the benefits as well as maximum flavor.

About the Author

David Carloni is the creator of The Color Of Tea.com. Discover More Details About Black Tea

An informative site about tea and the advantages of preparing tea loose leaf style.