In China, Black tea is often termed as “red tea” which describes the color of the tea soup. Black tea is fully fermented. Unlike dark teas it does not continue to ferment with aging. With being 100% fermented, it produces a heavy but smooth taste after a short brewing time. Black tea is steeped with 195 to 205 degree water. Because it is an older leaf tea, it is rinsed before the second pot is served. When filling the pot, pour water onto the side of the pot. Steep for only 10 seconds. When served be sure to shake all tea out of the pot. If not, the next pot could be too strong. A high quality tea can be made 6 to 8 times. There are thousands of black teas from many different areas of China. Each tea is unique dependent on soil quality, elevation, weather, and method of processing. We list red teas along with our black teas as both are a fully fermented tea.