Definition of black tea

The term "black tea" originated in the mid to late 17th century in Europe, where tea was imported mainly from China and later, India. Prior to this, the tea that was commonly consumed in China and other East Asian countries, such as green and oolong teas, were not exported to the West. The tea that was initially brought to Europe was a fully fermented tea, unlike the green or lightly fermented tea that was preferred in China. The dark color of this tea, which came from the oxidation and fermentation process, gave it the appearance of being "black". The term "black tea" gained popularity in the British Empire as the color of the tea leaves and brewed tea was black, and it distinctively differed from other types of tea that were introduced later, such as green tea. The classification system for teas, based on oxidation levels, was developed by the British, with black tea being fully fermented, oolong tea being partially fermented, and green tea being unfermented. In summary, the term "black tea" originated in the late 17th century due to the dark color of the tea leaves and brewed tea, which distinguished it from other types of tea, such as green and oolong teas that were not initially exported to the West.