At a glance
Broken black tea is a broader production and particle-size category rather than one named garden tea. The Chinese edition’s detailed sensory table concerns Qimen broken black tea. Keep that narrower example separate from the wider category and from CTC, which names a particular manufacturing method.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 红碎茶（分级红茶、红细茶） |
| Tea family | Black tea |
| Associated origin | Several Chinese tea regions; the inherited grade table focuses on Qimen |
| Leaf form | Cut or broken particles, with size and shape depending on manufacture |
Taste and appearance
The retained Qimen comparison describes tight, substantial, even particles, lustrous black colour, rich red liquor and a sweet, sometimes floral, lasting aroma. The cup is full, mellow, sweet and brisk, with even red infused material. Other origins, particle grades and manufacturing routes can taste different; this is not a description of every tea bag or every broken black tea.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Tight, substantial, even particles | Reasonably tight, substantial and even | Fairly tight particles |
| Dry-leaf colour | Lustrous black | Lustrous black | Black, fairly lustrous |
| Liquor | Rich red and lustrous | Rich red, fairly lustrous | Rich red |
| Aroma | Sweet, floral, rich and lasting | Sweet and lasting | Sweet and strong |
| Taste | Full, mellow, sweet and brisk | Fairly full, mellow, sweet and brisk | Mellow and sweet |
| Infused leaves | Even, red and bright | Even and red | Even and red |
This is the inherited Qimen-focused sensory comparison, not a table of international particle codes or a universal grading standard for all broken black teas. Manufacture, particle size and cup quality are separate questions.
Names and origin
The source lists Chinese producing regions including Yunnan, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan, Hubei and Fujian, while its detailed example turns to the historical Qimen trade area. That example includes Anhui localities and Fuliang in Jiangxi; it is not a new current protected-origin register. Broken black tea is not exclusive to Qimen or China.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
It may suit someone seeking a brisk black-tea cup or learning what particle descriptions on a label mean. Choose a packet and brewing method intended for your vessel instead of treating every broken tea as a high-leaf gaiwan tea or dismissing all small particles as inferior.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: short gaiwan infusions
The earlier Chinese prose gives a white porcelain gaiwan, 1:20 tea-to-water ratio, 95–100°C / 203–212°F water and a 5-second pour after adding water. It does not specify a tea dose. The example below makes the ratio explicit; its amounts are an editorial illustration of the prose, not measurements inferred from the separate graphic.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 5 g loose Broken Black Tea as an editorial example |
| Actual water | 100 mL / about 3.4 US fl oz, measured; 5 g at 1:20 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe porcelain gaiwan with room for the measured water and leaves |
| Water temperature | 95–100°C / 203–212°F |
| First infusion | 5 seconds, then decant completely; account for filling and pouring time |
| Leaves | Kept separate from the liquid after each pour |
Use your packet’s complete directions first. These inherited methods and editorial examples are awaiting hands-on testing. The earlier five-to-seven-infusion statement is not a guarantee of equal-strength cups. The prose does not specify a leaf rinse; any rinse shown in the separate image is not added silently to this version and is not a validated disinfection step. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
The shared old image gives 5 g, a nominal 110 mL gaiwan, 95–100°C / 203–212°F and about 5 seconds for each of the first three drinking infusions, then longer. Actual water is not recorded. This is a retained short-infusion gaiwan method, not a default mug or tea-bag recipe for every particle size. Follow the actual pack’s complete preparation instructions. Preheating is not validated sterilisation; a spring image is not a water-safety certificate.
For ordinary teaware options, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep each complete method together instead of selecting temperature, dose and time from different preparations.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Ask for origin, manufacturing method, particle grade, ingredients and intended preparation. A CTC label concerns manufacture, while a particle code describes a different aspect. The inherited Qimen price and sensory tiers cannot price or grade all tea-bag material, blended breakfast tea or export broken tea.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade | 650 | 130 |
| Grade 1 | 470 | 94 |
| Grade 2 | 300 | 60 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
These inherited figures belong to the old Qimen-focused entry. They are not a current price range for the entire international broken-tea category, bulk CTC, tea bags or breakfast blends.
How to store
Original storage method
The earlier entry uses a sealed foil or kraft-paper pouch inside a closed, dry container such as a tin, kept cool, dry and away from light and smells. Its casual tea-table or bookshelf example assumes those conditions: use a suitable cupboard if a shelf is sunny or near steam. Reseal the inner pouch after taking tea. Plain paper without a moisture-resistant lining is not equivalent to a sealed foil pouch.
Its historical targets were below 25°C / 77°F and below 50% relative humidity, with a 24-month general shelf-life reference. These are legacy figures, not a freshly verified expiry date or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. The actual product label, seal and storage conditions take precedence. The earlier ordinary-storage method does not require refrigeration; follow any different instruction for your own product.
In a UK or US kitchen
Keep the packet away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, direct sun and spice containers. A decorative outer tin does not replace the inner seal. Keep a small daily portion separate if that helps resealing the main supply. Do not assume a long shelf life from the tea’s dark colour. For opened-packet handling, read storing an opened packet.
Origin, processing and history
The original map shows picking, withering, rolling, cutting, oxidation and oven drying. It illustrates a cut black-tea sequence without establishing that all broken teas are CTC. Tea teaching material distinguishes several rolling/cutting routes, and Tea Board India separately identifies orthodox and CTC manufacture. Do not apply one factory’s machinery sequence to the whole category.
Common questions
Are all broken black teas CTC, and does broken mean poor quality?
CTC means crush, tear and curl and identifies a manufacturing route. Broken black tea also includes other rolling or cutting routes, so the terms are not interchangeable. Particle classification and sensory quality are separate comparisons; the old Extra grade, Grade 1 and Grade 2 table is not the same as OP, BOP, fannings or dust terminology.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Nominal capacity or a fill fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Keemun Gongfu, or browse the black tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.