WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Hyped on Tea: Black Tea

Episode Date: February 10, 2024

In this episode we explore why Black Tea is the world's most popular type of tea by diving into the process behind producing black tea and the different serving methods.

You are listening to Hyped on Tea, the show that takes you on a global journey through the world of tea. My name is Josh Hypes, and I'm your host. Last week, we explored the history, culture, and different types of tea around the world. Today, we're going to do a deeper dive into one of my favorite types of tea, black tea, unpacking why it's the world's most popular type of tea, and also doing a little bit of a demonstration as to how to make a great cup of tea. We're so happy to have you listening today, so let's dive on in. Black tea is grown all across the world, most known.

notably in China, but also in Japan and India. But what makes black tea so unique? Well, it's the oxidation process the tea undergoes. After the leaves are harvested, they are normally transferred to a factory where the leaves are briefly left out in the sun, and a process known as withering. The workers will normally shift the tea around on a large tarp to ensure that the leaves are equally exposed to the sun. The leaves are then transferred to large wire baskets, where a fan will gently blow to dry

out the leaves further for another 12 to 15 hours. Next, the tea leaves are sorted into cloth bags where the tea is rotated by steel rollers. This movement will give the tea its characteristically spindly, fibrous appearance. Then the tea is transferred back to the wire baskets to sit for another two hours to oxidize. During this time, the tea leaves will normally change colors from its characteristic green to a darkish brown. This will also indicate the flavor of the tea when it's brewed. Lighter teas are normally oxidized for less time or not at all compared to darker teas. This is also why darker teas often have a more robust flavor profile because of their oxidation process.

After oxidizing the leaves, they are then transferred to a hot air dryer to remove any remaining moisture before the tea is ready for packaging. So now let's dive a little bit deeper into what are the regional differences between a Chinese, Japanese, and Indian black tea. Often climate, elevation, soil acidity, and the quality of the harvest can impact the flavor of the tea. For instance, black teas in China are normally produced in Yunnan province, which is around an average elevation of 6,000 feet. Meanwhile, in northeastern In India, in the state of Assam, where most of the nation's tea is produced, elevation can widely differ depending on the type of tea.

For example, Assam tea, not to be confused with the state, is a type of black tea normally produced in the state's lowlands and floodplains at an average elevation of 250 to a thousand feet above sea level, while Darjeeling and Njiri tea is produced in the state's highlands, closer to India's border with China. at an average elevation of 6,000 feet above sea level. Tea produced at lower elevations often have a more multi-flavor when compared to tea produced at a higher elevation, which have a more fragrant, citric, and frutier flavor.

Finally, in Japan, the differences between its black tea and India and China's are less distinct and have more to do with the oxidation process that we discussed earlier. Japanese black teas are typically less stringent and bitter, compared to an Indian black tea and have a more sweet and floral aroma compared to a Chinese tea. Black tea is popular around the world because of its versatility. There's no one way you have to serve the tea, and many cultures around the world have experimented and adapted new ways to serve tea. For instance,

in Kenya and India, often tea is combined with milk and other spices to produce chai masala. While in Europe, it's more of a sweet blend of black, tea with herbs served with milk and sugar. Finally, let's touch on how you can brew the perfect cup of black tea. Normally, I prefer using loose-leaf black tea when compared to a tea bag just because normally with loose leaf it's a little bit fresher. Then after you select your tea and strainer, you can scoop about two teaspoons of the tea while you heat about two cups of water in a kettle 200 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. After that, you're going to want to pour the water

over your tea leaves and leave it to steep for about two to three minutes, since this will give plenty of time for the flavors to release. Oftentimes, instructions will say, oh, you need to steep it longer, but just know that if you do that, you're going to have to add milk, because the tea will become very astringent and bitter. And after that, just enjoy.

And that's it for now. Thank you for listening. This was the second episode of Hyped on Tea, and I hope you're hooked on tea. Thank you.