Introduction To Black Tea

A Geography Lesson
To truly understand the black tea phenomenon, you must first know a little geography.  Black tea flourishes at high altitudes, such as those found in the Himalayan Blue Mountains.  Assam, which boasts more than 800 estates specifically geared toward the cultivation of tea, constitutes one of the world's largest tea producers. 

This black tea can be mixed with African teas or Ceylon teas in order to produce English or Irish tea.   This blending often occurs in European cities such as Hamburg or Amsterdam.  However, unblended teas are also quite popular-such teas are known by the term "single estate teas."
The tea leaves are sorted, then go through natural fermentation.  Through this oxidation process, the tea leaves change from green to black.  The next step of the process involves the packaging of the tea, which is then given a brand name.   In recent years, black tea has become the world's most popular beverage, whether served hot or cold.

The Phenomenal Effects of Black Tea
One of the key reasons for the phenomenal popularity of black tea is its soothing nature.  Anecdotally, tea drinkers have been saying for years that black tea can help calm unsteady nerves-but now there's scientific research to prove the point.

Scientists at the University College London, in a study published in the journal Psychopharmacology, discovered that black tea can reduce the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the bloodstream.  The study showed that black tea-drinkers were able to cut their stress levels faster than individuals who consumed a tea substitute.

The study examined 75 young men were divided into two groups and monitored for a period of six weeks.   One group drank a caffeinated tea mixture that was fruit-flavored and made up of the components found in black tea.  The second group received a placebo that contained caffeine and that tasted like tea, but that did not actually contain tea.

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