Black tea

Black tea gains its name from the basic black colour of the tea liquid. In the West it is known as black tea but in China it is actually classified as red tea while puerh tea is classified as Chinese black tea. Black tea is known for its strong and robust taste and has a stimulating and assertive character. The fresh tea leaf goes through the process of withering, rolling, oxidation, baking/smoking to become black tea. Black tea is reputed for its purifying qualities and can aid in digestion.

Bailin Gongfu	Fengqing Dianhong

Within the category of black tea (red tea) there is a classification of gongfu black (red) tea, broken black (red) tea and Souchong black tea (a kind called "little species").

Gongfu black (Red) tea

Gongfu black (red) tea is a speciality of China only, Gongfu (or Kungfu as Westerners name it) does not only refer to martial arts, it rather has the meaning of "skilfulness" So in the case of Chinese Gongfu tea it refers to the intricate production methods. Besides the basic production methods of black (red), Chinese Gongfu tea production methods also include refine procedures of screening, cutting, winnowing, re-baking, fanning (blow away dust) blending and packing. Within the Chinese Gongfu tea categorie there again can be made a subdivision of 12 different kinds of Chinese Gongfu tea. This tea is mainly produced in Southern China. The appearance of the dry Chinese Gongfu black (red) leaf is tight, even, and shiny red (not black). The taste is sweet, mellow with a strong fragrance.

Broken black (Red) tea

Broken black tea occupies 80% of the world's total tea production. It has a history of about a 100 years. In the middle of the 19th century, the production methods of Chinese black (red) tea were passed on to India. Initially the black (red) tea produced in India was similar to Chinese Gongfu black (red) tea. Yet with the invention of rolling and cutting machines in 1876 the production methods of black tea increased. Besides leaf tea they began to produce three new type of black tea, broken tea (not leaf tea), fanned tea and powder tea. With the invention of the refined cutting machines such as Rotorvane, C.T.C and L.T.P. The production craft and characteristics of the production quality changed, the amount of produced tea leaves became less and less. Nowadays black tea is mainly composed of broken tea, fanned tea and powder tea. Since the 1960's China started to import foreign technology and produce broken black tea. Main production area for broken Chinese black (red) tea in China is in Hainan, Yunnan, Guandong, Guanxi, Hunan, Sichuan and Guizhou.

Souchong black (red) tea or Xiao Chong Hong Cha (Little Species Red Tea)

This Chinese black tea originally comes from Fujian province in the Wuyi mountain area. The appearance of this kind of tea leaf is very stout and strong. This tea emits a special pine smoke fragrance that does not wane even after milk is added. This Chinese black (red) tea can be divided into Zhenshan Souchong and Waishan Souchong. Whereas Zhenshan Souchong is known in the West, or in other parts of the world, as Lapsang Souchong. Lapsang Souchong is produced in the area of Tong Mu Guan, Xing Cun Village in Wuyi Shan. At times it is also called Tong Mu Guan Souchong and Xing Cun Souchong. The Waishan Souchong is actually tea produced outside of the Lapsang Souchong area, the translation of Waishan literally means "outer mountain". That is the Souchong tea produced outside of this area, "waishan" also carries a certain implication of being "fake" souchong.