tea cup with lid and strainer
Tea Bags Vs. Loose-Leaf Teas
With an ever-growing selection of quality pre-bagged tea as well as the increasing availability of loose-leaf tea, tea lovers have a choice of formats and presentations. Bulk teas offer a certain experience, while pre-bagged teas are inarguably convenient. There is a bit more to it than this, however.
It’s clear, if disputed by teabag manufacturers, that the tea found in bags isn’t of the highest grades. Indisputably, though, due to physical limitations these teas must either be broken and crushed (or what is known as the “fannings”) or small in order to fit the necessary amount into the bags. Broken tea leaves have already lost crucial oils, which is detrimental to their flavor.
Tea purchased in bulk is nearly always whole, unbroken leaves. This takes up more room for shipping and retailing, but allows the teas to retain their oils, which leads to longer shelf lives and better taste. Teas that have been carefully handled and stored during processing should be largely unaltered by the time they are purchased.
Another restriction of tea bags is a simple physical one: tea requires space to expand and unfurl when soaked in water during brewing. Bags stuffed with broken leaves restrict the room in which the tea has to expand, stifling flavor extraction and allowing insufficient flow of water around the leaves while they are steeping. Loose tea, usually prepared in an infuser, allows ample room for the tea to unfold and water to circulate.
The main advantages of teabags are convenience and portability. Equipped with a teabag or two, the only requirement for a relaxing cup of tea is a good mug and a supply of hot water. Preparing loose-leaf tea requires the addition of a tea ball or infuser, usually with a lid, and a small additional dish on which to rest the sloppy, wet device after removing it from the liquid. Discarding a tea bag is likewise a simple chore, while clearing up the wet tea leaves and other soiled equipment can be time-consuming and messy.
Proponents of bulk tea maintain that the quantity and condition of tea in bags causes the tea to degrade faster and therefore suffer from inferior quality and flavor. Some even maintain that the bags themselves lend an unwelcome taste to the tea, although the paper used is actually rather neutral unless it has been bleached.
The choice between loose-leaf tea and teabags isn’t as cut-and-dried as it once was. At one time, only low-grade black teas were widely available in bags, but now many companies offer a wide selection of bagged teas in a huge range of types and styles. On the other hand, the portability and convenience of teabags can be duplicated with loose teas, as tea filters (similar to their coffee cousins’) and large, empty teabags are available for bulk tea enthusiasts on the go. Most tea lovers today will gladly stray from their preferred presentation if it means a new and interesting tea-drinking experience.
The best quality tea is loose leaf, so you’ll need a japanese tea set, kyusu, or cast iron teapot to steep it.
Loose tea advantages
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