Tea bags or loose leaf?
Tea drinkers like to amuse themselves with a healthy debate over what is better: loose tea leaf or tea bags? The answer varies depending on who you ask, but for fun’s sake let’s compare the two and have a rundown on why both types of teas can be aptly described the same way tourists describes countries in South East Asia, as ‘same same but different’.
Loose tea leaf and tea bags at first sip, almost taste the same. However, tea experts likes to point out that tea bags mostly consists of ‘dust from tea leaves’, and because of that – the quality of the tea greatly decreases. While tea leaves still carry the essential oils that provide richer taste and aroma, as well as other health benefits.
Bag it or not?
Another difference is when tea bags are brewed, the remaining tannins quickly evaporates resulting in a more bitter taste compared to what the natural flavour of a loose tea leaf provides. Long time tea drinkers always tells us to compare the aroma coming from a hot pot of loose tea leaf to one with tea bags, one can notice the difference almost immediately.
Tea lovers also points out the method of production between loose tea leaves and tea bags. Bags of tea are mass produced and packaged simultaneously through a factory machine, while loose tea leaves are carefully plucked by the hands of tea farmers. So, tea lovers often reason the more intimate and personal preparation that comes along with loose tea leaf. Presentation-wise a loose tea leaf looks more appealing to the eyes than packaged tea bags.
Loose tea leaf also guarantees its freshness, when you purchase a pack of loose tea leaf you can be sure that you are buying this year’s tea crop. Tea bags meanwhile are already processed, packaged and produced in large volume, it can survive being on the shelf for a long time, and therefore freshness is not guaranteed.
It seems as loose is best
So far in our comparison loose tea leaf is preferred over tea bags. Although both can have the same texture, taste and aroma at first sip, the difference can be felt when tea drinkers immersed themselves with a habitual tea drinking exercise. The difference between the two lies in the familiarity with drinking tea. Thus the saying ‘same same but different’.
That said, do not put pressure on yourself to search exclusively for loose tea leaf, as tea bags also retains a lot of the health benefits and taste that a natural tea leaf produces.
For a great variety of loose tea please visit our shop where you can buy loose tea online.
