Black Tea

part of: Tea

Black tea is the most popular type of tea in Australia and across much of the Western world. It is made from the leaves of the tea plant that have been fully oxidised, giving the brew its characteristic deep amber to reddish-brown colour and bold, malty, sometimes astringent flavour.

Common varieties include English Breakfast, Earl Grey (scented with bergamot oil), Irish Breakfast, and single-origin teas like Assam, Darjeeling, and Ceylon. In Australia, a simple cup of black tea — often just called “a cuppa” — remains a daily ritual for millions of people.

Brewed without milk, black tea has a cleaner, more tannic character that lets the specific qualities of the leaf come through. It can be enjoyed plain, with a squeeze of lemon, or with a touch of honey or sugar.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Tea leaves are plucked from the tea plant, then withered to reduce moisture. The leaves are rolled or crushed to break down cell walls and release enzymes, which triggers oxidation. For black tea, the leaves are allowed to oxidise fully — turning from green to dark brown or black — before being fired (heated) to halt the process and lock in the flavour. The dried leaves are then sorted by grade and packaged as loose leaf or in teabags. To brew, the leaves are steeped in freshly boiled water for several minutes.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 0kcal
Protein 0.1g
Carbs 0g
Fat 0g
Fibre 0g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈0.05kg
Freshwater ≈2.64L
Land ≈0.05m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

Made from
Tea, leaves

In the kitchen

Used as

brewed hot beverage

Goes well with
milk sugar cinnamon cardamom ginger
Classic dishes
  • Masala chai
  • Earl Grey tea
  • Hong Kong milk tea

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

FSANZ

How it was calculated

Analysed

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromTea, leaves goes well withmilk goes well withsugar goes well withcinnamon goes well withcardamom goes well withginger shares a sourceGreen Tea shares a sourceIced Tea (Ready-to-Drink) shares a sourceInstant Tea shares a sourceKombucha shares a sourceOolong Tea shares a sourceTea Leaves & Plant Parts shares a sourceTea Seed Oil
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