Black teas are made from tea leaves that have been quickly and heavily oxidized. This gives the leaf and liquor a dark appearance and significantly changes the aroma and flavor - most notably in the strong body of breakfast teas. Chinese gongfu black teas are less concerned with strength and focus on more subtle characteristics.
To be clear, you can drink any tea you want at breakfast (there are no rules to this), but most teas labeled “Breakfast Tea/Blend” are black teas of small particle size that steep up quick, strong, deliver lots of caffeine, and can take cream and sugar without turning into watered down skim milk. It’s like your morning coffee if you don’t like coffee. These blends often feature teas from the Assam region of India, Ceylon teas (Sri Lanka) and African teas since they tend to have brisk, earthy characteristics. The small particle size will make sure the cup steeps up strong and full-bodied quickly and deliver as much of its caffeine into the cup as possible.
