Why is black tea sold in crumbled form?
The black tea is sold in a crumbled form. I am yet to see a brand, where I live, selling black tea as whole leaves.
I want to know why is that so? Does crumbled leaves have effect on taste which whole leaves don't have?
This issue is only with the black tea, not with the green tea.
What's the deal here?
Best Answer
Whole leaf black tea is available, but because it has to be processed by hand it is expensive. Twinings whole leaf black tea is roughly 50 cents per teabag as opposed to the equivalent processed tea bags at about 8 cents.
To make black tea, the leaves are wilted and processed by various methods - none of the mechanical methods will produce whole leaf tea.
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Why does my tea have bits in it?
The research shows that the scum on tea is composed primarily of calcium carbonate (about 15-25%) and the rest is a mixture of complex organic chemicals or minerals. Others research has stated it is also due to the due to the oil in the tea leaves. It may also be a much bigger problem if you live in a hard water area.What are the disadvantages of drinking black tea?
Side effects of black tea (most often in high amounts) may include:- Anxiety and difficulty sleeping.
- Faster breathing.
- Headache.
- Increased urination.
- Irregular heartbeat.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Nervousness and restlessness.
- Ringing in the ears.
How can you tell good black tea?
Green tea should smell grassy, light and fresh, while black tea should smell earthy, floral and sweet. When steeped, excellent tea should be deeply aromatic and amplify the unique scents of the dry tea leaves.Which type of black tea is best?
The 11 Best Black Teas From Around the World- Yunnan Black Tea.
- Darjeeling Black Tea.
- Keemun Black Tea.
- Ceylon Black Tea.
- Lapsang Souchong.
- Nilgiri.
- Hei Cha.
- Masala Chai.
What Happens To Your Body When You Drink Black Tea Every Day
More answers regarding why is black tea sold in crumbled form?
Answer 2
Top tier Indian / Sri Lankan black tea is always whole leaf. I would argue that a top tier broken orange pekoe easily trounces any OP1, but broken teas tend to be much more bitter than similarly ranked unbroken ones.
Meanwhile Chinese black teas are virtually always sold whole leaf (e.g. http://www.teavivre.com/black-tea/). On the other hand, there's a long tradition of ground grean tea in Chinese / Japanese tea culture. During Tang and Song dynasty virtually all tea was ground and matcha is still very popular today.
So I think it's mostly down to tradition. As for why, I can only guess that with the more intense, full-bodied flavours of Indian black teas the bitterness and "dustiness" due to broken leaves isn't that noticable.
Answer 3
Tea in crumbled form is also known as CTC tea, and are mainly used for tea bags. By crushing the leaves, more tea will fit in a bag, and the tea will release flavor faster than whole leaf teas.
Whole leaf teas, on the other hand, are often more expensive and higher grade. They're more often presented in loose leaf as they need more space to expand and properly infuse.
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