Introduction
Drinking a cup of tea can be a great way to improve your mood, while also experiencing a range of health benefits including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. This is because tea is full of antioxidants. However, did you know that not all teas are the same? There are actually some important differences between loose leaf tea and tea in tea bags, for instance. Let us convince you why your next cup of tea should be made from loose leaf tea, rather than a teabag.
Different kinds of teas
There are all kinds of teas available, like green tea, black, oolong, camomile and hibiscus, just to a name a few. But did you know you can also categorise tea by how it is sold?
For instance, you can have loose leaf tea, which is tea that is loosely packaged. You can then use an infuser to make a cup or pot of tea to your preferences. Sometimes this is also called whole leaf tea. However, you may be more familiar with tea bags.
Originally, tea bags were designed as merely a way to provide small samples of tea to interested buyers. However, they’ve gone on to be a preferred way to buy tea. Over the years, the shapes and styles of tea bags have continued to grow. You can still buy small traditional tea bags, but there are also other shapes like pyramids.
But does all this really make a difference to your cup of tea? You’d be surprised.
Which tea is better?
Fans of loose leaf tea will tell you that its flavour is far superior to any tea bag on the market. This is the flavour of your tea comes from the essential oils inside the leaves. If these leaves are broken to fit into a tea bag, the essential oils can leak from the leaves. This can leave you with a bland cup of tea. Whereas whole leaf tea keeps all that flavour inside, ready for your beverage.
Similarly, for whole leaf tea infuses better than any tea bag. This is because water can more easily move around the leaves, getting those essential oils out, making for a fuller beverage. In a tea bag, there’s less room for water to flow around the leaves so you miss out on flavour.
Additionally, the leaves in tea bags are typically of a poorer quality. Because they just need to fit into the tea bags and no one can see them, dust and fannings are used, rather than the good quality leaves. However, this trick can’t be done with whole leaf tea. Therefore, you an expect a better tasting cup of tea from whole leaf tea.
Further, whole leaf tea is usually of a special variety. This can mean you get to enjoy unique flavours that change between batches, seasons and years. If you’re a tea lover, you’ll appreciate the subtleties and complexities of whole leaf tea.
Tea bags, on the other hand, are designed to taste the same. This is part of the marketing. Some people like knowing exactly what they’re going to get. However, you may get bored of tea that tastes the same every time.
Enjoy the ritual of steeping
Another element of whole leaf tea that people find desirable is the ritual involved with brewing a pot or mug. Where a teabag just needs to be dipped and left in a mug of hot water for a few minutes, whole leaf tea requires more care.
You need to fill the teapot with your favourite loose leaf, making sure to get the quantity right for the strength of tea you want. Hot water is then added to let the tea leaves infuse, making that delicious beverage.
Many people find this process a perfect way to take a moment or two from their busy day. They can enjoy the simple but ancient process of steeping tea, enjoying the smell of the tea and feeling its warmth.
And if you just want one cup of tea, you can buy an in-cup tea infuser, perfect for just one cup of tea. You can still enjoy the process, but you don’t need a tea pot.
