|
Loose White Tea
Silver Needle Tea
White Peony
Snowbud White Tea
Song Yang White Tea
Loose Green Tea
Dragon Well
Sencha
Gyokuro
Pi Lo Chun
Green Anji
Green "Pekoe"
Loose Oolong Tea
Pouchong
Ti Kuan Yin
Wu-yi Tea
Jasmine Oolongs
Formosa
Loose Black Tea
English Breakfast
Earl Grey
Assam Tea
Ceylon Tea
Irish Breakfast
Chinese Keemun
Darjeeling
Full Informational Article...
If you've read other pages on this site, you may have noticed a recurring message...loose leaf tea is superior over tea bags!
I'm not just saying this because this is my sole opinion, oh no, it is a well agreed upon fact. Many tea drinkers world-wide greatly prefer loose leaf tea over a tea bag any day; it is better in every aspect.
Here's a quick run-down.
Leaf Size
Loose tea will always contain bigger leaves than tea bag tea. Next time you dunk a tea bag, take notice at the tiny dried up pieces that are inside the transparent mesh. If you ever examined loose leaf tea, you will realize a major difference in comparison.
Now while some loose varieties are larger than others (oolong leaves are really large!) they all will yield a better tasting cup over a bag. Granted that they are brewed in proper water within six to eight months of their flush and are not old.
Why More Flavor & Benefits?
Loose leaf tea has better flavor because it maintains more of its natural essential oils which release into the cup when steeped; providing the drinker with a cup full of aroma, great taste, and benefits.
The reason tea bag tea does not compare is due to two main factors.
1) fannings which are tiny pieces of tea dust lose most of these oils through the processing stage, and whatever they do keep is not in an abundance as with the loose leaf.
2) the age of these bags can sometimes be over 18 months, and are well past the expiration date any tea will stay fresh.
As mentioned above, loose leaf is best enjoyed within six months of the flush. This goes more for white and green types. Oolong and black teas can stay fresh a couple of months longer...up to one year.
You Get What You Pay For!
As with everything in life, you get what you pay for...tea is no different. Tea bag tea costs less because it offers less; bitter taste, little benefits, etc. Gourmet loose tea naturally costs more since it offers more to the palate providing maximum flavor and benefits. However, there are many varieties of loose leaf teas that range in price for many different reasons.
Speaking of varieties, another pro about the loose stuff is that it offers many more varieties over tea bags. There are four main types of tea, but each one leads to thousands of varieties that can provide tea drinkers a lifetime of discovery. I know one thing, I'm always looking forward to something new constantly! Whether it be traditional tea or herbal tea...
Buying Loose Tea
Finding loose leaf tea is not a challenge. Most health food stores carry it, as well as a couple of good online tea shops. So far, I by over 95% of my tea online and have come across 4 very good merchants.
One of them is Adagio Teas. This online tea store is well known, and probably the largest on the net. No need to research these guys, they are pretty reputable, offer many varieties of loose teas, and have many helpful customer reviews of each.
All of their products can be purchased in sample tins which gives folks a chance to experience many teas before making a choice to buy the larger size of their favorites. If you're a newcomer this is a great place to start your quest! Highly recommended in my book.
Explore Loose Tea From Adagio Here
Please don't forget to check out the others on the "Online Tea Shops" page located on the navigation bar.
Brewing Tea
Last but equally as important is how you brew your tea.
For this, there is a link at the bottom of this page explaining greater details, but for a quick review:
- Always use well filtered water or natural spring water with low mineral content.
- Do not burn the leaves, that is, be sure to examine the appropriate temperature for your tea. Never pour boiling water over white or green varieties, let the water cool down half a minute. For oolong and black teas, most varieties can withstand boiling water.
- Do not over steep and always pay attention to the recommended brewing times. This will of course vary...
- Avoiding adding sugar or artificial sweeteners. They will clash with the subtle taste of your loose leaf tea and alter the true experience. Give it a chance, loose tea will present all its natural flavors to your palate after just a few cups...you'll get used to it and appreciate it straight up!
Page Topics
Cool Sites to Visit While Sipping a Cup of Tea!