Like all four Asian tea types sold in the market, black tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. But unlike other tea varieties, black tea undergoes full oxidation after it is withered, dried, and rolled. The fermentation of the leaves gives black tea a distinctively strong taste, body, and flavor.

Black tea is a favorite ingredient in making gourmet type teas or flavored teas. One of the most popular favored teas is black forest tea. Below are our top picks for black forest tea:

HonestTea - Black Forest Berry

Black Forest Berry is an herbal fruit infusion containing natural black tea. Sweet and succulent, whoever thought something as delicious as this could also be healthy? This black forest tea contains some of the best sources of antioxidants in the world - organic cane sugar, organic hibiscus, organic blackberry leaves, organic blueberries, organic raspberries, and natural berry flavoring.

EnglishTeaStore - Black Forest Naturally Flavored Black Tea Loose Leaf

The English Tea Store's black forest tea hints at a piquant and astringent chocolate flavor with cherry undertones and creamy notes. Their black tea is a naturally flavored black tea, using natural high grown Ceylon tea from estates at more than 5500 feet above sea level. To give a clean true taste with no chemical aftertaste to their black forest tea, a natural flavor is added.

ZooScape - Black Forest Tea (Loose)

It's like a dessert in a cup! Imagine a fine cup of Ceylon tea, naturally high grown, with natural organic flavors to make sure that there's no chemical aftertaste. The result is black tea with a characteristic chocolate-cherry flavor. Just add a dash of milk, and you're off to a fantastic start.

Directions - How to Make Black Forest Tea

So you bought yourself a nice bag of black forest tea. Now it's time for you to get a-brewing. Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil and place 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3/7 minutes according to taste. The longer the steeping time, the stronger the tea. Even though milk and a dash of sugar help enhance the flavor and character of your black forest tea, it is perfectly acceptable to consume this tea "straight up."

Another method is to make yourself a cup of iced black forest tea. Just place six teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Next, pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea and let steep for about 5 minutes. Afterwards, quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water and pour the tea into it, straining the leaves as you go. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water.

Make your Own Cup

Who said you can only find black forest tea from the tea shop? Hey, if you can make your own black forest cake at home, then there's no reason why you can't brew your own cup of this wonderful dessert drink.

Just follow this recipe for a real chocolatey-fruity treat:

• 6 oz. hot black tea

• 2 tbsp. chocolate syrup

• 1 tbsp. maraschino cherry juice

• whipped cream

• chocolate shavings

• maraschino cherries

To prepare, just mix the tea with syrup and juice in a mug. Stir well then top with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and cherries.