Collection: Black Tea

When people think of black tea, they often think of Darjeeling or Sri Lanka, but the birthplace of black tea is China.

The world's first black tea (in the 1600s) is said to be Lapsang Souchong (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong) from Tongmu, Wuyishan, Fujian Province, China. At that time, Lapsang Souchong was extremely popular, especially in overseas markets. However, as the popularity of black tea grew, demand exceeded supply, and prices soared.

In the 1800s, in search of cheaper tea, Keemun black tea (Qi Men Hong Cha) began to be produced in Qimen, Anhui Province, by imitating the production techniques of Lapsang Souchong.

Later, by mimicking Chinese black tea production methods, the British developed Darjeeling tea in India.

To meet the ever-growing demand, production areas expanded to Assam, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and even Africa, including Kenya.

Additionally, starting in the 1900s, black tea began to be produced throughout China, including Yunnan black tea.