Tea 201 - Chinese Black Teas

Chinese Black Tea

Black tea, known in China as red tea, is the most common product produced by our favorite Camellia sinensis plant. It’s the most consumed type of tea in the world; however, it is the least popular style in China. The quality range of black tea is broader than any other type of tea. Chinese black tea is particularly renowned for its high quality, compared to mechanically harvested black teas from India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya.

There is a lot of debate among tea scholars as to when black tea was actually invented. However, everyone agrees that it appeared in the Chinese market by the 16th century. Naturally, this suggests that black tea production must have originated even earlier.

Some argue that black tea was created during the early Ming Dynasty, around 1391. During this time, tea drinking had become widely accepted in Chinese society, and tea was primarily traded in the form of tightly compressed tea cakes—so valuable they were worth their weight in gold. At its peak, the tea trade was infamous for both wealth and corruption.

At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, under the rule of Ming Hong Wu Lian, an order was given to halt the production of tea cakes to curb corruption. This left many monasteries, especially those in Wu Yi Shan, with a stockpile of tea but no way to process it.

In response, these monasteries attempted to pan-fry loose leaf green tea, but they struggled to prevent oxidation—a defining characteristic of black tea. This unintended oxidation process led to the creation of black tea. By the time the 16th century arrived, black tea had firmly established itself.

Fun history, no? Are you a fan of black tea, dear readers? 🍵