Black tea isn't just tasty. It provides enough energy to build empires, stay out late, wake up early or just get through the day. Throughout the ages, black tea has been used for medicinal purposes; specifically, it was often used to give ailing patients energy and to keep them alert or awake.

Black tea is made from leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant. It is fully oxidized before firing, giving it a much darker color and a stronger, sweeter flavour than green or white tea. It's traditionally been the most popular tea type in Western countries due to its richness and ability to hold up to the addition of milk and sugar.

You really need to taste the traditional black teas to understand their complexity. So go ahead and experiment! All of our black teas come from traditional tea producing areas, like Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nepal and the Himalayan provinces of Assam and Darjeeling in India.

As the ancient Chinese began to produce more and more tea, they realized that with a special oxidation process, tea leaves became darker. The tea made from these leaves was sweeter and thicker in flavor, and the leaves could be stored for longer periods of time than green tea without becoming stale. This type of tea was originally called "red" tea because of the color of the liquor. Westerners later renamed it "black" tea because of the changes in coloration of the leaves.

Because of the way black tea is made, the finished product holds its flavour well. Ancient tea sellers made black tea into compressed bricks and sent it on long journeys, trading it with foreign merchants for other materials. In some cases, black tea has even been used as a kind of currency, and over some parts of Asia, experts say, that persists today!

Black tea processing can be done either by machines or by hand.

After the harvest, the leaves are first withered, or wilted, by blowing air on them.

Next, the leaves are rolled to break the cell walls, which begins the enzymatic process that allows for oxidation. Then they're oxidized under controlled temperature and humidity. The level of oxidation determines the quality of the tea. Since oxidation begins at the rolling stage itself, the time between these stages is a crucial factor in the quality of the tea. Next, the leaves are dried to arrest the oxidation process. Finally, the leaves are sorted into grades according to their sizes - loose leaf being the highest grade. Ever heard of Orange Pekoe? Most people think it's a flavour, but it's really part of a grading system and refers to a grading standard set by the Earl of Orange. Good to know.