Black tea is more oxidized than the green, oolong and white varieties; all four varieties are made from leaves of Camellia sinensis. It is generally stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas.
Recent research indicates that black tea has its own health giving properties. Theaflavins and Thearubigens compounds in black tea contribute to not only its dark color and distinctive flavor, but also provide health benefits originally attributed solely to green tea.
In Chinese influenced languages, black tea is known as “red” tea, perhaps a more accurate description of the reddish/brown color of the liquid. In Chinese, black tea is a commonly used classification for Pu-erh tea.
