In one of my first blog posts this year I told you all about my morning dilemma: coffee or tea? I was surprised at how many people contacted me to comment on their usual morning pick or their favorite type of coffee (that morning I had chosen coffee). My intention at the time was to post quite often about the coffee and tea I tried and everything I learned about two of my favorite drinks. A couple months have gone by since and this morning as I recalled the post and prepared a cup of Twining’s Irish Breakfast Tea I thought: hey, I never got around to posting on coffee or tea again, well the thought is what counts right? No, sometimes this question is true, but for the most part I feel like it’s an excuse for not doing something that you should have and could have done. But hey! I still have the time, the intention, and the desire. So without further delay today I want to share with you what I’ve learned about Loose Leaf Tea vs. Tea Bags.
There are vast differences between loose leaf tea and traditional bagged tea and because I know a lot of my readers don’t have all the time in the world I won’t make you read all the way to the bottom to tell you that Loose Leaf Tea is much higher quality and better. Now, if you do have some time continue reading below as I make my case for Lose Leaf Tea.
The tea in Tea Bags is more like “dust “ from broken tea leaves, which as you can imagine is a huge compromise on quality. When tea leaves are broken down finely they lose a significant part of the oils and aroma that give tea its unique flavor. In addition the grinding process makes it so that when this dust is brewed a higher amount of tannin is released. Tannin is the astringent organic substance in plants, which is responsible for the bitter taste tea sometimes has.
Tea leaves need room to expand and release their full aroma and flavor when brewed. For this reason many of the fast brew options are less then ideal. The standard tea bag material does not allow for enough water flow and leaf expansion. Even when doing the whole process of stirring, dunking and twisting one can’t get the proper flavor out. Paper tea bags aren’t optimal either since the paper becomes heavy or sticks to the leaves once it’s wet. Tea balls, although better than tea bags, are not ideal either because there isn’t enough room for the loose leaves to expand to their full potential. So, yeah bad news bears, the convenient little tea bags that you get at the store are not the best. They’re convenient, but is convenience a big enough reason to compromise on quality and benefits?
When brewed correctly Loose Leaf tea maximizes all the benefits that this traditional drink is praised for. When tea leaves have the proper room to expand and let water flow one can extract a wider range of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and flavors. Getting into the tradition of brewing loose leaf tea is basically like switching over from standardization to variety. While tea bags can provide you a consistent flavor every morning, loose leaf tea will give you a more unique experience and artisanal flavor. The main reason is because in order to provide consistency tea bags contain a blend of tea leaves from different regions as well as leaves grown during different seasons. On the other hand, loose leaf tea is more of a specialty where the flavor varies by season and availability also depends on which plants can be grown in a particular region, thus allowing for a wider range of flavors!
It’s ironic that I write this post as I sip on a cup of tea made out of a tea bag. I almost feel like a hypocrite. My dear sister-in-law describes me as ‘allergic to negativity’ and she’s right. I can’t even end this post on such a daunting note as: we’re all drinking low quality tea. Instead I am choosing to give you all some hope! I’m tasking myself with researching and experimenting different methods of brewing loose leaf tea! I’m going to find out what the best methods for quality vs. convenience are and keep you informed through this blog. So don’t feel like all hope is lost! In the meantime I won’t judge if you stick to tea bags while I find out the answers. Stay tuned!