7 of the world's best black teas for breakfast

Black tea is the most popular tea in the world. Unlike green tea, which is light and herbaceous, black tea has a richer and sweeter taste. As with fine wines, many variables combine to give each black tea its own unique flavor profile. These factors include the climate and altitude at which the Camellia sinensis plant was grown, how it was fertilized, the degree of oxidation that may have occurred during heat treatment, and how the leaves were cut and packaged.

Black tea flavors include smoky, earthy, spicy, nutty, citrus, caramel, fruity, and honey.

1. English Breakfast Tea

Drinking a mixture of strong black teas for breakfast is a British custom. The tradition began sometime in the mid-19th century. The exact selection of black teas used in breakfast tea blends can vary greatly, but popular options include Assam, Ceylon, and Kenya black teas. More expensive varieties use Keemun black tea from China, which has a slight taste of wine, fruit and pine.

English breakfast tea requires strong brewing, as is customary in England, and goes well with milk and sweeteners.

2. Earl Gray

Another world famous tea that first became popular in England. It is said that in the 1830s, British Prime Minister Charles Gray received a gift of black tea flavored with bergamot oil from the Chinese envoy.

Orange bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is a small citrus tree with winter flowers that grows primarily in Calabria, Italy. Bergamot oil imparts a bright, delicate, citrusy flavor with floral undertones that complements the bold and assertive character of black tea.Many commercial varieties today use artificial flavors instead of real bergamot. If you want to taste real Earl Grey, stick to high-quality organic blends that use only natural flavors.

Another good reason to drink Earl Gray tea is that, unlike most black teas, it contains antioxidants thanks to the addition of bergamot oil. The antioxidant (catechin) content is the main reason why green teas have received much more positive press than black teas over the years.

Antioxidants help get rid of free radicals in the body, which also helps support your immune system. With this tea, you may get the best of both the antioxidant properties of bergamot and the prebiotic properties of black tea. It’s a win-win combination!

Flavored with delicate notes of bergamot oil, Earl Gray is also the ideal base for delicious iced teas and lattes.

3. Assam Black Tea

Assam black tea is named after the Indian region. This tea is relatively new. Tea production in India began only about 200 years ago. In the 1830s, British business interests saw an opportunity to compete with Chinese tea producers, so they moved British tea production to India. Since then, Assam has become the world’s largest tea producing region.

Assam black tea grows primarily at or near sea level. The tropical climate and high rainfall, unique terroir, and processing methods give this variety of black tea a unique chocolate aftertaste. The taste can range from fresh, smoky, earthy, musky and strong to lighter with chocolate, cocoa or even sweet and spicy notes.

Assam tea is a common ingredient in tea blends, used to provide a stronger base and depth.

A cup of Assam tea can help strengthen the immune system. Black tea contains antioxidants that are beneficial for overall health. It also contains the highest levels of calcium, iron, magnesium and copper.

You can simply drink Assamese black tea or add honey and some nut milk.

4. Darjeeling Black Tea

Darjeeling tea can only be found in the highland town of Darjeeling in India, West Bengal. Some call Darjeeling black tea the “champagne of tea” for its delicate, fruity and floral notes.

Tea is unique in that the leaves can be processed in different ways, resulting in black, green, white or oolong tea.

However, the character of this black tea can vary depending on when it was picked.

Teas are sorted according to the size and quality of the tea leaves. Four categories of tea leaves are sorted: whole tea leaves, broken leaves, fan leaves and dust. Whole leaves are the highest grade, and dust is the lowest. Fannings are small particles of leaves that are used in tea bags, and tea dust is essentially the waste left behind by tea leaves.Tea Darjeeling first harvest: Harvested in the spring after the winter break. The color of the tea is light and pure. The tea leaves have a bright and distinct floral aroma. Due to their freshness and color, first flush teas are usually more expensive than others.

Second flush Darjeeling tea: has a dark amber color and a strong aroma, unlike first flush tea. The tea leaves have a purple tinge and may have a fruity flavor. Many tea testers around the world compare the taste of the second harvest with muscat grapes. The distinct aroma is due to a combination of unique weather, topography and plant types. Some tea connoisseurs prefer the second flush because of this unique aroma.

Third Flush Darjeeling Tea: After brewing, the resulting tea is dark or copper in color. Darjeeling’s autumn leaves are larger than other seasons. This type of tea usually costs slightly less than first and second flush teas.

Intermediate tea: Typically has characteristics similar to those of the first flush, but is often slightly lower in quality.

Darjeeling black tea is best served as is, without adding milk or sugar, and drunk in the morning. If you have a sensitive stomach, do not drink Darjeeling tea on an empty stomach.

5. Keemun Black Tea

Keemun is a special variety of black tea grown in Anhui Province in eastern China. He is also known as Qi Men Hong Cha. Compared to other black teas, it dries and oxidizes over a longer period of time.

This black tea is quite new, having been produced since 1875. An unfortunate civil servant from the Qimen region named Yu Ganchen decided to travel to Fujian Province, which is one of the most famous tea growing areas in China, to learn all about black tea production.

He used this knowledge to start producing black tea in his home region, where previously only green tea was produced. His new tea was a huge success in China and soon became famous in England. Even today it is a key ingredient in many English breakfast tea blends.

This organic loose leaf tea is made from medium sized rolled leaves. When brewed, it acquires a transparent bright red color. It has a soft, slightly roasted taste and a sweet, juicy aftertaste. Because of these qualities, kimuns are often compared to Burgundy wines.

The production of this tea requires a rather complex process, which is perhaps one of the reasons why this tea is so highly prized.

The leaves are collected only in spring and summer, and only the buds with the top two or three leaves are used. Even after harvesting, the leaves are sorted by hand and only the best are selected for further processing.

Keemun connoisseurs love it for its soft, complex aroma and taste, which includes notes of fruit, flowers, pine, tobacco and unsweetened cocoa.

You can enjoy it plain or with limited amounts of nut milk and honey

6. Yunnan (Yunnan Black Tea)

Yunnan black tea comes from the Yunnan province of China. Also known as “Dian Hong” (Dian is the short name for Yunnan province, “hong” means red, and when brewed it produces a coppery orange drink instead of the brown or black you might be used to). Fully oxidized tea grown high in the mountainous region of Linkang at an altitude of 1680-1900 m above sea level. Due to the highlands and mild climate, the growing season in the province is long, with harvesting occurring from March to November.

The Yunnan has a light smoky aroma and has layers of caramel and cocoa with a hint of pepper on the finish.

One thing that sets it apart from most other black teas is the high concentration of tender leaf buds known as “golden tips.”

It is recommended to use 3.5 g of tea per 200 ml of water and leave to infuse for 3 minutes. At this point, the drink will turn a deep dark red color and the room will be filled with a sweet, smoky aroma. It can also be drunk with milk.

7. Nilgiri

Nilgiri tea is grown in the southern Western Ghats, in the hills of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The word “Nilgiri” comes from Sanskrit, which means “blue hill”. Here, once every 7-12 years, the unique purple-blue flowers of Kurinji bloom and cover the landscape with bright colors.

Tea is grown at an altitude of 1000 to 2500 meters above sea level. Altitude, combined with cool air and moderate sun, slows the growth of tea plants, allowing the aromas in the leaves to intensify. This is why Nilgiri tea is known throughout the world as one of the most aromatic teas, slightly sweet, medium in body and containing hints of fruit.

These teas have a golden yellow color and a well-balanced taste. You may find them slightly spicy with a nutty aftertaste. This makes them ideal for making tea blends, so they can be drunk with sugar and cream.

There is Nilgiri frost tea, the leaves of which are collected in winter. This special tea has a pink and sweet taste, and many compare it to ice wine.

How to store tea

Tea is a food product and is subject to spoilage, like other products. The main enemies of tea are sunlight, oxygen, moisture and foreign odors. You won’t be poisoned by old tea, it will just be tasteless. During long-term storage, tea loses primarily its aroma.To preserve tea longer, it is stored in an airtight, opaque container, in a dry, dark room, away from any pungent substances.

In China, it is common to store tea packaged in sealed portion bags using a vacuum in the refrigerator at a temperature of +4°. This way you can preserve tea for up to 3 years.