The black tea recipe
for your table
Bring the water to a boil, then let it stand for half a minute, bringing it to around ninety-five degrees. Meanwhile, rinse the mug with a splash of that water so the glass is warm before the tea goes in.
Put two grams of loose-leaf tea in the mug or hang the tea bag in it. Two grams is about one level teaspoon for fine leaves and one generous teaspoon for coarse leaves such as Darjeeling.
Pour the water over it and let it steep for three to five minutes. Three minutes gives you a light cup, five minutes a robust one. Keep an eye on the time, because after five minutes the tannins are released and the tea becomes astringent and dry in the mouth.
Remove the tea bag or strain out the leaves; otherwise, it will keep steeping. If you’d like milk, pour it in last and stir once; the milk immediately softens the tannins’ sharp edge. Add sugar or honey last.
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The story
All true tea comes from the same shrub, Camellia sinensis. What distinguishes the varieties is what happens to the leaves after they are picked. With black tea, the leaves are bruised and then fully oxidized: they change from green to copper brown and the flavor becomes full-bodied and malty. The Chinese call this same tea red tea, after the color of the cup; we call it black, after the color of the dry leaves. Black tea stores well and withstands long journeys, which is why this particular variety traveled around the world for centuries.
The right glass
Black tea calls for boiling-hot water, so the glass must be able to withstand it. A glass of around thirty centiliters with a handle is the practical choice: there is room for a generous cup, and your fingers stay away from the heat. Clear glass lets you see how dark your cup is becoming, which is useful if you want to judge by color whether it has steeped long enough. If you prefer to brew a pot instead of a cup, take a look at the teapots.
Pasabahce Basic Some Like It Hot Tea Glass 34 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco Icon Mug Tea Glass 32 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 47,90.
The right tools
For black tea, in addition to the glass, use a fine strainer to keep loose leaves out of the cup and a long bar spoon to stir in the milk and honey. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 49,85.
Which splash works in black tea?
Black tea is robust enough to handle a splash, especially with honey. In the glass, whisky works best, with Jameson and bourbon being the most commonly used bottles. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and what glass you need.
Variations & twists
Earl Grey is black tea with bergamot and requires the same steeping time. English breakfast is a blend of robust leaf varieties made specifically for drinking with milk. Add cardamom, ginger and cinnamon and you get chai latte; let a strong cup cool and pour it over ice, and you have iced tea. A splash of whisky with honey and lemon turns it into a Hot Toddy. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
Serve the milk separately at the table instead of stirring it in, so everyone can decide how much to add. Remove the tea bag or infuser before serving; otherwise the tea will oversteep within a few minutes. A saucer under the glass catches the wet tea bag.
Good to know
Why black tea is black
After picking, the leaves are bruised, causing the juice to come into contact with the air. The leaves then oxidise fully, changing from green to copper-brown and eventually almost black. Green tea does not undergo this step; instead, the leaves are briefly heated to stop the discolouration. It is therefore the same leaf, treated differently.
What tannins do to your cup
Tannins are the astringent compounds in tea leaves. They give black tea its body and dry mouthfeel, but they are not released all at once. During the first few minutes, mainly the flavour compounds dissolve, followed by the tannins. After five minutes, the balance shifts in the wrong direction and the cup becomes bitter and astringent.
Milk makes the tea smoother
The proteins in milk bind to the tannins in the tea. This means fewer of them reach your tongue, making the cup feel fuller and less dry. That is exactly why robust blends such as English breakfast are traditionally drunk with milk, while a delicate Darjeeling usually is not.
The well-known varieties at a glance
Assam comes from northeastern India and is malty and robust, the classic milk tea. Ceylon comes from Sri Lanka and is fresher and more citrusy. Darjeeling grows high in the Himalayas and is light and floral, more like a white wine among black teas. Keemun comes from China and is soft and lightly smoky. Earl Grey is not an origin but a flavored tea: black tea with oil from the bergamot orange.
How much caffeine does it contain
A 20-centiliter cup of black tea contains roughly forty to seventy milligrams of caffeine, depending on the type, amount of leaf, and steeping time. That is roughly half as much as a cup of filter coffee. Steeping it longer extracts more.
Frequently asked questions
How hot should the water be for black tea?
About 95 degrees, so just off the boil. Bring the water to a boil and let it stand for half a minute before pouring. Black tea tolerates the heat well; with green tea, water at that temperature would make the cup bitter.
How long should black tea steep?
Three to five minutes. Three minutes produces a light cup, five a robust one. If you leave it longer, the tannins are released and the tea becomes astringent and dry in the mouth. So remove the bag or infuser as soon as the time is up.
What is the difference between black and green tea?
The leaf comes from the same shrub; the difference lies in the processing. Black tea is fully oxidized, making it dark, full-bodied, and malty, and is brewed with water at 95 degrees for three to five minutes. Green tea is not oxidized, remains light and grassy, and requires water at 70 to 80 degrees and one to three minutes.
Why do people add milk to black tea?
The proteins in milk bind the tannins in the tea, making the cup taste softer and rounder and eliminating the dry feeling in your mouth. This works best with robust blends such as Assam and English breakfast. With a light Darjeeling or an Earl Grey, most people leave out the milk.
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