Bitter Yet Fresh Black Tea

black tea, also translated to red tea in various Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavor than other teas. Two principal varieties of the species are used – the small-leaved Chinese variety plant (C. sinensis var. sinensis), used for most other types of teas, and the large-leaved Assamese plant (C. sinensis var. assamica), which was traditionally mainly used for black tea, although in recent years some green and white teas have been produced.

First originated in China, the beverage's name there is hong cha due to the color of the oxidized leaves when processed appropriately. Today, the drink is widespread throughout East and Southeast Asia, both in consumption and harvesting, including in Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Singapore. While green tea usually loses its flavor within a year, black tea retains its flavor for several years.