Black tea is the most commonly consumed tea among teas. But how does it get its distinctive color and taste?
After picking the tea leaves on the plantations, the leaves are crushed, releasing juices and enzymes. By contact with oxygen, the enzymes cause the color of the tea leaves to change from green to dark brown and black. This process is called oxidation.
By drying the tea leaves, the oxidation process stops and the black tea eventually retains its characteristic color, taste and aroma.