Fermented Tea

Black tea, or heicha in Chinese, is a category of tea that involves fermentation.  These teas are processed in a way to either induce or encourage ongoing fermentation of the tea leaves.  As this is one of the most wild types of Chinese teas, the category is very broad, ranging from earthy teas that brew rich and black, to fragrant light teas ready to be set aside for decades in order to transform.  

Puer is one of the most common forms of black tea present in the West.