First originating in China, the beverage's name there is hong cha (Chinese: 紅茶, "red tea") due to the colour of the oxidized leaves when processed appropriately.

[1]: 127  Today, the drink is widespread throughout East and Southeast Asia, both in consumption and harvesting, including in China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.

For this reason, it has long been an article of trade, and compressed bricks of black tea even served as a form of de facto currency in Mongolia, Tibet, and Siberia well into the 19th century.

Masala chai has been widely recognised and adapted in the West by locals to their liking since its introduction by the British East India company, with changes in ingredients and the method of preparation to better suit western consumers.

The same holds for broken leaf teas, which have more surface area and need less brewing time than whole leaves.

Longer steeping times makes the tea bitter (at this point, it is referred to as being "stewed" in the UK).

Typically, an 8-US-fluid-ounce (240 mL) cup of black tea without sweeteners or additives contains 47 mg of caffeine, and negligible quantities of calories and micronutrients.

[22] Long-term consumption of black tea only slightly lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressures (about 1–2 mmHg).

[22][23] Black tea consumption may be associated with a reduced risk of stroke, but there is only limited research to evaluate this possibility.