“Its goodness is for the mouth to make,” Lu Yu wrote in the first ever annals of tea drinking, called Cha Jing or the Art of Tea. But sometimes, it really pays to match the kind of Asian black tea set that you use with the tea type you’re drinking.

For instance, many people say that for China black teas or China green teas, a Chinese Yixing teapot is the best. You see, Yixing teapots are made from unglazed clay, and that’s why teas drank from such teapots taste better because the flavor is fully preserved.

So if you want to savor the taste of your tea and experience the different subtle variations of black tea, the kind of Asian black tea set you use matters.

Below are a few good shops where you can look for the perfect Asian black tea sets.

KitchenKapers

At KitchenKapers, you can find an elegant-looking, white-colored Asian black tea set - the Joyce Chen Time for Tea Set - Black 90 5100. The teapot has an authentic side-handle to make it easier for you to pour in a manner reminiscent of elaborate tea ceremonies and matching Asian black tea set cups that will any hour tea time.

This Asian black tea set is stoneware that is microwave and dishwasher safe. It consists of 5 pieces, including one side-handle 20 oz. teapot and four 4 oz. handle-less tea cups.

BluemoonTea

Yixing teapots have the unique ability to absorb the tea flavor with continued sausage. What’s more, the fired clay of Yixing teapots contains tiny air pockets which provide insulation for enhanced taste and aroma of fine teas.

The BluemoonTea website offers a fine collection of Yixing teapots and Asian black tea sets, including Empire teapot, Bamboo teapot, Beijing Era Teapot, and the Emerald Zen Yixing. For their Asian black tea set collection. BluemoonTea also offers White Bamboo on Blue Tea Cup with Infuser, Forest Rose Tea Cup with Infuser, Lotus Tea Cup with Infuser, Sage Floral Covered Bowl, Spring Teapot Set, and Red Blossom Tea Set.

SensationalTeas

The Japanese have used Tetsubin teapots for centuries to brew their finest teas and add artistic elegance to their household as well. Each Tetsubin teapot at SensationalTeas is hand cast, as well as hand finished, and fitted with a stainless steel mesh infuser basket.

As part of their wide collection of Asia black tea sets, SensationalTeas offers the Large Hira which is a stunningly elegant, and very rare, large capacity Tetsubin Hira. The teapot can hold 40 oz. and comes 5-7 cups all covered with elegant charcoal black exterior and a distinctive “hob nail” design. To complete the look, this Asian black tea set is lightly washed with a touch of brown, giving it a gorgeous antiqued appearance.

Another unique Asian black tea set at SensationalTeas is the 35 oz. Wabi. The Japanese find great beauty in simple design and the Wabi is a wonderful example. Its cocoa brown exterior has a pleasant orange peel texture and a squared off top that’s distinctive, setting itself apart from a standard round teapot.

Oolong means “black dragon.” So when someone talks to you about black dragon tea, don’t immediately conclude that he’s talking about the rich and flavorful Chinese black tea you’re used to. Chances are he’s actually referring to the more delicate but equally flavorful oolong tea.

Because of the way black dragon tea is processed, it is sometimes called partially fermented tea or semi-green tea. It is a tea that combines some of the best qualities of both black and green tea.

If you value green tea for its delicate taste and health benefits, then you are sure to find that black dragon tea is just as delicate but with a characteristic fruity taste commonly associated with fully fermented black tea. But if you prefer a slightly less aromatic version of black tea, then black dragon tea may well suit your palate.

How Black Dragon Tea is Produced

Made from the partially oxidized leaf of the Camellia sinensis, the plant where all tea types come from, the leaves used in making black dragon tea range in size from young to fully mature. Often, black dragon tea is baked or roasted after being fully dried to produce a mellower but richer flavor.

Traditional oolong teas come from China and are oxidized and roasted, producing a darker, strong tea. These include Tie Guan Yin or the “Iron Goddess”; Fuo Shou or the “Buddha Hand”; and Monkey-Picked, and Wu Yi Oolong.

Next to China, black dragon tea is also quite popular in Taiwan where it is produced in great numbers. Taiwan black dragon tea are highly esteemed for their smooth flavor which they say is achieved through the use of fully mature, new-growth, and hand-picked leaves which are only slightly oxidized before being tightly rolled and dried. The method actually makes a tea that is very close to green tea, but with a much more complex, intriguing, and rich flavor that could only be ascribed to the black dragon tea or oolong.

Taiwan high mountain oolong is typically left unroasted, whereas Dongding oolong undergoes carefully attended, long, slow roasting at low temperatures to produce a richer brew. Other types of specialty black dragon teas that require unique cultivation methods include Oriental Beauty and Baihao oolong.

What a Cup of Oolong Means

Asian culture has become increasingly integrated into Western society in an aspect more profound than the ubiquitous presence of Asian cuisine. I’m talking about more than anime, feng shui, and oriental medicine here. I’m talking about a rich cultural influence that continues to pervade modern society today. I’m talking tea, my dear, and not just any tea.

The current trend of tea has inspired many Western scientists today to search for scientific evidence that attests to how tea promotes health. Most of the studies came up with the following astounding conclusions:

* Lowers blood cholesterol

* Reduces oxidation

* Kills influenza virus

* Inhibits increase in blood pressure

* Reduces tumor growth

* Reduces mutations

* Inhibits increase of blood sugar

* Fights carcinogenic bacteria

* Prevents halitosis

* Increases mental acuity

And much, much more! Who knew a cup of black dragon tea could do so much?

Black tea has always been an all-time favorite. With its uniquely distinctive taste (both aromatic and flavorful), black tea certainly has a way with getting under your taste buds. To make black tea’s taste even more stimulating, a lot of people have tried experimenting with its flavor. As a result, flavored black tea was created, and one of the most popular varieties of flavored black tea turned out to be black rum tea.

What is Black Rum Tea?

Black rum tea is exactly what its name suggests. It is black tea combined with a bit of rum to make your tea experience more interesting. Black tea has always been a favorite, especially in the U.S. market. Black rum tea combines all the distinct characteristics that make black tea so wonderful with another popular beverage - rum.

Below are our top picks for black rum tea:

StashTea - Jamaican Butter Rum Tea

The Jamaican butter black rum tea at StashTea is a fine blend of Ceylon, Indian, and Chinese black teas and combined them with natural rum, sweet butterscotch, and creamy caramel flavors. The result is a rich and aromatic black rum tea with a slightly sweet taste, perfect as a dessert tea. For a special taste treat, add a splash of milk and some sugar into your cup.

GlenbrookFarm - Caribbean Rum Tea

Another good brand of black rum tea is Glenbrook Farm’s Caribbean black rum tea. The black tea used is fine Assam, flavored with aromatic rum for that perfect tropical island hint in your cup of tea. Glenbrook Farm offers their Caribbean rum tea in 4 oz., 8 oz., or 16 oz.

Adagio - Rum Tea

Adaigo Teas has always been known to produce excellent quality tea. Now, with their new black rum tea, they offer you the perfect gourmet tea - premium black tea from China flavored with a spoonful of island rum. Adaigo’s rum tea is an intoxicating treat, not only because it has a dash of alcohol in it, but because the intensity of its flavors. If you like your black tea served with added flavors, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the superior flavor of Adaigo’s black rum tea.

UrbanTeaParty - Black Rum Tea

“No worries, ‘mon.” That’s exactly what UrbanTeaParty offers with their premium black tea from China flavored with a spoonful of tropical island rum. Offered at 4 oz., making ten cups, this black rum tea is intoxicating and soothing all at once.

CulinaryTeas - Buttered Black Rum Tea

CulinaryTeas offers their buttered black rum tea, using the following lines: “Aye matey, ever been to sea? Don’t forget this tea!” First discovered in 16th century England, the British navy adored rum because it was found to last longer than beer, which meant less spoilage, less waste, more happy hour for the sailor boy. Now, CulinaryTeas offers tea that is sure to remind you of how it was during the sailing days with their loose leaf tea and tea bag sachets.

Wellcat - Jamaican Rum Royal

Its name says it all. Wellcat Jamaican Rum Royal is an exciting black rum tea drink. A touch of rum gives your black tea a bolder and more exciting flavor. A dash of black tea gives your rum a unique taste. The Jamaican Rum Royal is both for the rum lover and the tea drinker.

The basis of black tea nutrition is simple but true: Antioxidants promote well-being. The more antioxidants you consume, the better to boost your body’s natural disease prevention processes.

The Camellia sinensis plant where black tea and all other “real” teas come from has leaves rich with antioxidant-acting phytochemicals called polyphenols. This means that black tea nutrition beverages are good sources of antioxidants for your body.

History records tea as long as four, nearly five, thousand years ago. According to one Chinese legend, the Emperor Shen Nung was boiling water one day when the leaves of a nearby plant fell into the pot. This created the first pot of tea.

In the new millennium, scientific evidence is supporting the link between black tea nutrition and health benefits. Besides polyphenols, black tea nutrition is also a source of several major antioxidants, including flavonoids, which could neutralize the free radicals in the body, helping to maintain healthy cells and tissues. Flavonoids are special phytochemicals found not only in tea leaves, but in apples, onions, and other fruits and vegetables as well.

The majority of flavonoids are released from the tea leaves after 2 minutes of steeping. But the amounts and potency of flavonoids you get from black tea nutrition may depend on the variety, the manufacturing process, and the brewing conditions. Other antioxidants in black tea nutrition include tannins, catechins, theaflavins, and theaburigins. All these antioxidants add to the health benefits in black tea nutrition.

In processing black tea, the leaves of the tea plant undergo four different steps. First, the leaves are harvested and allowed to wither. Afterwards, they are crushed or rolled in order to release the essential oils, polyphenols, and beneficial compounds to coat the surface of the leaves. Then, they are exposed to the air, heat, and humidity in a process called “fermentation” or oxidation, after which, they are allowed to dry.

The oxidation process causes the polyphenols in black tea nutrition to change into the chemical theaflavin, which is the reason why black tea has that brown, reddish color and brisk flavor. When theaflavins bind with other chemicals in black tea, they are transformed into theaburigins which give black tea its characteristic black or dark brown color. But more than lending black tea nutrition its color and flavor, these chemicals are also great antioxidants that help protect the arteries, thus reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

A recent study at the American Heart Association showed just how black tea nutrition could help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Scientists have observed earlier that abnormal dilation of the arteries (a condition associated with stroke and heart failure) is caused by the lessening of nitric oxide production. Black tea apparently has an effect on nitric oxide, maintaining its normal production so the arteries begin to dilate normally.

Black tea is also said to contain fluoride, a compound that helps reduce plaque and prevents tooth decay. In addition, flavonoids in black tea nutrition partially inhibit the absorption of non-heme iron from plant food.

Black tea is one of the most popular teas in the world. The English love it and use it as a constant ingredient in many of their breakfast teas. Black tea comes from the same plant that green tea, white, and oolong tea come from. But if you notice, black tea has a distinctively strong flavor and characteristically dark color. How is this so?

Well, you see, the main difference lies in how black tea is processed. While in making green tea, the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant are first dried and then gently steamed, black tea leaves undergo far more processing steps.

First, the leaves are withered. Then, they are rolled around to release the beneficial polyphenols present in the leaves. Next, the leaves are left out in the open and exposed to heat and humidity to start the fermentation process. After full oxidation or fermentation is done, the leaves are then dried and packed.

All these processing methods actually account for the uniqueness of black tea. The taste may range from brisk to astringent to delicately fruity, flowery, or even smoky. Often, these differences can be ascertained from the growing regions where the black tea is produced. But regardless of taste, flavor, and color, the benefits of black tea remain constant.

For thousands of years, the Chinese (who are attributed to be the first tea drinkers) have been imbibing this drink for its many health benefits. Green tea, especially, with its refreshing delicate taste, is said to help in overcoming certain diseases from the simplest - e.g. headaches, stomach pains, etc. - to the complex - e.g. heart disease, cancer, arthritis, etc.

Scientists believed that the reason green tea is more beneficial compared to other teas is that the leaves never undergo full oxidation. Because of this, the polyphenols, especially the polyphenol ECGG, remain intact and potent against disease-causing free radicals in the human body. However, more recent studies have shown that while it’s true that full oxidation does break down ECGG, the benefits of black tea are hardly hinged on the present of that chemical compound.

Researchers found that the benefits of black tea are directly associated with certain chemical compounds that give black tea its characteristic fruity flavor and dark color. These compounds, called theaflavins and theaburigins are polyphenols with antioxidant properties that can help rid the body of harmful free radicals.

In a study done at the American Heart Association in New Orleans, researchers also found that the benefits of black tea may include lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke. According to their findings, certain compounds found in black tea help relax and expand the arteries, thus increasing blood flow to the heart and minimizing clogging of the arteries. The eight-week study on the benefits of black tea involved 50 men and women with coronary artery disease. They drank four cups of either water or tea a day for four weeks. The result was that the group who drank black tea produced more nitric oxide - the chemical released by the body that causes the artery to dilate - which accounted for their arteries to dilate normally.