i was just wondering why we never talk about black tea or other types of tea.Ive seen other threads about pu-erh and i know the sheng is green and the ripened shou is black (i think).the reason I'm asking is because id like to learn more about these other great teas from you guys.i Riley cant drink green tea because it has a laxative effect on me (lol tmi i know).but i love rooibos,Darjeeling,earl grey and English breakfast but know little about them.the one thing i do know is that there is nothing better than a nice cup of rooibos with some cream,a squirt of orange blossom honey and 3 hairs of saffron.
why dont we ever talk about it
- Thread starter adamk222
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Feel free to converse about any type of tea here, or any other appropriate topic. Puerh is just extremely popular here. We've got a handful of members here who are experts and they have "corrupted" the rest of us. 
from my understanding pu'ercha is not black or green. Pu is Pu.
Raw [sheng] is uncooked and Cooked [shou] is er.... well its not cooked but it is in a sense.
That probably helps nothing but I was just shedding some light, probably completely wrongly.
Raw [sheng] is uncooked and Cooked [shou] is er.... well its not cooked but it is in a sense.
That probably helps nothing but I was just shedding some light, probably completely wrongly.
What we know as black tea is generally referred to as hong cha in China, literally red tea. Black tea in China usually refers to something like liu bao, which is a precursor of shu pu-erh and undergoes heavy fermentation - probably not dissimilar to the tea leaves in my compost bin atm.
From China my favourites are keemun, rich chocolate notes, and Yunnan gold, from pu-erh country. Yunnan black/red tea comes in two main varieties; a fairly dark version and a golden tippy version, both are good but the golden stuff is worth buying just to look at:
Indian teas I've been getting more into over the past year. I'm beginning to doubt the classification system for Indian teas, white, green, oolong, black etc. I've had black Darjeeling which is more green than green Darjeeling but it's lovely to taste as the growers begin to play around with oxidation and processing.
I had some delicious Georgian black tea recently which will hopefully not be rare treat. Blogged.
Drinking some assam from TeaGschwendner
From China my favourites are keemun, rich chocolate notes, and Yunnan gold, from pu-erh country. Yunnan black/red tea comes in two main varieties; a fairly dark version and a golden tippy version, both are good but the golden stuff is worth buying just to look at:
Indian teas I've been getting more into over the past year. I'm beginning to doubt the classification system for Indian teas, white, green, oolong, black etc. I've had black Darjeeling which is more green than green Darjeeling but it's lovely to taste as the growers begin to play around with oxidation and processing.
I had some delicious Georgian black tea recently which will hopefully not be rare treat. Blogged.
Drinking some assam from TeaGschwendner
One of my colleageus is from Nilgiri, who just went home to visit his family. Guess what I asked him to bring back. 
Black teas can be delicious - I've got some darjeelings to write about, hand-picked and blended by one of the readers of Half-Dipper during a holiday, who kindly parted with some. Looks good!
Usually, I drink a lot of black tea in my office (mainly Dianhong) because it's allegedly warming on the stomach. Pu'er wins in terms of complexity and all-round awesomeness (personal preference, of course), but black tea can definitely hit the spot.
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
Black teas can be delicious - I've got some darjeelings to write about, hand-picked and blended by one of the readers of Half-Dipper during a holiday, who kindly parted with some. Looks good!
Usually, I drink a lot of black tea in my office (mainly Dianhong) because it's allegedly warming on the stomach. Pu'er wins in terms of complexity and all-round awesomeness (personal preference, of course), but black tea can definitely hit the spot.
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
I love Earl Grey. I tried it after Captain Picard kept ordering it from the replicator. It's been my favorite ever since. If anyone has a favorite brand, I'd love to try it.
I've also become a fan of African Red Bush tea (Rooibos). I guess it's not really a kind of tea though. It has a subtle, sweet taste, very relaxing.
-Mason
I've also become a fan of African Red Bush tea (Rooibos). I guess it's not really a kind of tea though. It has a subtle, sweet taste, very relaxing.
-Mason
One of my colleageus is from Nilgiri, who just went home to visit his family. Guess what I asked him to bring back.
Black teas can be delicious - I've got some darjeelings to write about, hand-picked and blended by one of the readers of Half-Dipper during a holiday, who kindly parted with some. Looks good!
Usually, I drink a lot of black tea in my office (mainly Dianhong) because it's allegedly warming on the stomach. Pu'er wins in terms of complexity and all-round awesomeness (personal preference, of course), but black tea can definitely hit the spot.
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
Just out of curiosity, do you ever drink any black tea (single estate or blend) with milk and/or sugar?
Personally, no, but most people drink Assam, Nilgiri, and blends derived from them (English Breakfast, etc.) with milk at least, because they can be bitter.
I read an interesting study quoted on the BBC that said some of the health benefits associated with drinking tea are nullified if you use milk. Though I would never change my drinking habits according to fickle reports and surveys, it's an interesting one nonetheless.
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
Hmmm. Where to start?
From least to most processed/oxidized, core tea types include White, Green, Oolong, Black & Pu-erh. They're all made from the same plant, tho' different plant varietals may come into play. The more oxidation, the more caffeine.
White is the least processed tea -- just rolled & dried. (Maybe steamed too?) It has the least naturally occurring caffeine, and has the most health benefits. If green tea has an untoward effect on your innards, white may also. But white tea really is a different gustatory experience.
Green tea has a bit more oxidation -- typically 25% or less, as such things are measured. A bit more caffeine. Still plenty of health benefits. Greater range of flavors -- Japanese and Chinese green tea are markedly different (with Japanese teas being more 'vegetal' as a rule, and they're more sensitive to preparation. Speaking of which -- both white and green should be made with cooler water (just steaming to briskly steaming -- 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the tea.
Oolong's oxidation ranges from 30-70%. Again, a significant flavour range, particularly as you go from Chinese to Taiwan/Formos oolongs. A Chinese Ti Kuan Yin is going to be on the lighter (less oxidized) end of the scale, and have a more subtle, sweeter flavour. Formosa oolongs are typically more oxidized, and have more robust flavours, with the most oxidized similar to the Darjeeling experience.
Speaking of which -- Darjeeling is specific growing region in India, just like Champagne in France. A lot of tea that gets labeled 'Darjeeling' isn't in fact from there. Most Darjeeling plantations produce black tea, but some have started producing greens & oolongs. Darjeeling teas are an interesting animal. You've got First Flush (beginning of the growing season), 'in-betweens', Second Flush and Autumnal crops -- all with somewhat different characteristics (but typically sharing a common core flavour and astringence/'bite' elements.
So, black tea. The most oxidized, the most caffeine. What most Westerners think of when you say 'tea'. Certainly many other growing regions that produce black tea other than Darjeeling, including China (I'm rather fond of Yunnan black), Ceylon/Sri-Lanka, Assam, Nepal, Nilgiri & Sikkim.
That's probably enough for now.
Anything specific you'd like to know?
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i guess ill give pu a try
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