Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Kenyan black tea
Black tea
Kenyan orthodox black tea
Black tea
Why these two get confused
Same country, same estates in some cases, entirely different manufacture. CTC gives strength and colour fast; the orthodox version is a speciality product that tastes nothing like it.
Point by point
| Dimension | Kenyan black tea | Kenyan orthodox black tea |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Black tea · fully oxidised | Black tea · fully oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Rolling and shaping → Oxidation → Drying. bud and two leaves and year round harvest. | In order: Withering → Orthodox processing → Oxidation → Drying. bud and two leaves and year round harvest. |
| Origin | Kenya | Kenya |
| Flavour | roasted. full bodied, astringent and drying in the mouth. Aroma: brisk malt, leather, stewed fruit. Straightforward in character. Bold in intensity. | citrus, floral and fruity. medium and drying in the mouth. Aroma: citrus blossom, malt, red fruit. Moderate in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 98–100 °C, first steep 150s. Boiling and decoction: 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 300s. Mug infuser brewing: 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 96–100 °C, first steep 180s. Tea bag brewing: 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 96–100 °C, first steep 165s. Chai preparation: 1.5–3 g/100 ml at 98–100 °C, first steep 360s. | Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 95–100 °C, first steep 210s. Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 4–5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 10s of 5 authored. Mug infuser brewing: 1–1.5 g/100 ml at 96–100 °C, first steep 180s. |
| Cultural context | Used in British everyday tea drinking, Pakistani tea customs, Irish tea drinking, East African chai customs, The tea auction system, Egyptian shai: koshary and saidi and The tea break. | Not recorded for this tea. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants the cup to assert itself and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and takes milk. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and wants to enjoy it on the first cup. It tolerates an imprecise brew and is traditionally drunk plain. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.