Black Tea (also sometimes known as red tea, from the Mandarin ‘Hong Cha’) is the most popular tea variety in the West. The process of making it involves drying, firing and fully fermenting the tea leaves. The method of heating, time of harvest and quality of soil all contribute to the unique taste of each tea. During fermentation, complex chemical reactions occur within the leaves, which affect the taste and concentration of various nutrients. Their high caffeine content means black teas are great if you need a wake-up kick in the mornings!
Black teas are great sources of antioxidants, such as theaflavins, thearubigins and catechins, which destroy free radicals in the body. This combats cell and tissue damage and helps prevent a number of chronic diseases.
Meanwhile, polyphenols are said to function as a prebiotic, helping the growth and maintenance of healthy gut bacteria. As an ever-increasing body of research into the importance of gut fauna shows, maintenance of the right balance there can have all manner of positive effects, from improving digestion and the immune system to better mental health!
Studies indicate that compounds contained in black tea show promise in combatting conditions as diverse as cancer and Alzeimher’s disease. Regular consumption has also been shown to reduce the incidence of heart disease, lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
At Tchai-Ovna, we stock a wide range of black teas from all over Asia and into Africa. We direct source and select naturally grown options wherever we can. Black tea also provides body and depth to many of our outstanding chais, to be found below in our Recipe Tea section. We hope you enjoy browsing!
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