Loose Leaf Tea vs Tea Bag

Since teabags were invented by Thomas Sullivan in 1904, the debate has raged on: Bag or Loose?

The Myth of Teabag Convenience

The primary reason people choose teabags is ’The Myth of Teabag Convenience.‘ This is the big gun of teabag advocates, that teabags are much more convenient than loose-leaf tea. This is just a myth but it has been around so long, that it has almost achieved the status of accepted wisdom. But it is simply not true.

If you would think that converting to loose-leaf tea will be extra work then I can tell you that it takes no more time to prepare loose leaf tea than a pot with teabags. Try it yourself and then taste the two teas. The loose-leaf tea almost sells itself. There are so many clever ways to steep loose-leaf tea today (do-it-yourself disposable teabags, in-cup or in-pot brewing baskets etc.) that it doesn‘t take any longer to prepare a two-cup pot of tea, than it takes to prepare a two-cup pot of tea with teabags. But the difference in quality and flavour is big.

First of all, to get the full amount of flavor from tea leaves, they must have room to expand fully. In the case of oolong teas, the difference between the tightly rolled dry leaves and the unfurled steeped leaves is quite dramatic. If they are unable to unfurl, some of the flavor stays trapped within the leaves. Ideally, the leaves should be able to swirl freely in the water in which they are steeping to get the full flavor.

The second reason is because of the size of the leaf. That's what effects the resulting cup of tea. Tea leaves contain chemicals and essential oils, which are the basis for the delightful flavour of tea. When the tea leaves are broken up, those oils can evaporate, leaving a dull and tasteless tea. The smaller the leaf, the more quickly bitter tannins are released, and the more quickly tea becomes bitter. Most loose leaf tea is whole leaf, while tea bags are filled with fannings, or tea dust from the bottoms of crates and barrels of teas. Basically, the cast off bits of tea. Teabags also tend to go stale more quickly. Tea can stay fresh for up to two years, if properly stored in an airtight container and kept in a cool, dark place, like a cabinet. Teabags are frequently improperly packaged for freshness.

Even if you prefer a simple cup of black Keemun, or Assam (which is the major component of most bagged teas), try getting your tea loose instead of in bags. If you enjoy a change now and again, you can get a wide variety of teas in bags, but there are many more to choose from if you shop for loose tea.

Brewing up a perfect pot of loose leaf teas is really simple. There are a few general rules that you must familiar yourself with, and a few tools that you'd need to acquire, once you have those down you are all set. You will need a tea pot, and some sort of infuser to contain the leafs. There are teapots that come with infusers or you can use large mesh ball. It is important that the size of the infuser, whichever kind you choose, corresponds to the size of the pot. The goal here, again, is to have a large enough space to allow free circulation of water and for the leafs to unfurl properly. This means your infuser must be big enough for your pot, and must have enough perforation so that water could flow easily through. That means big ceramic or glass infusers with a few decorative holes will not work. You will also need to be able to remove the infuser from the pot after the desired brewing period, leaving the tea leafs in the pot will turn the tea bitter and astringent. Some types of tea leafs can be rebrewed, but they should not be left for an extended period in the pot.

Water temperature: boiling hot for black tea, a little less hot for oolong, and even less for delicate green and white tea. And no, you won't need a thermometer for this, all you need to do is boil a pot of water. Use the boiling water immediately on black teas. Leave the boiling water to settle down for a minute or so before you pour it on to oolongs, or even couple more minutes longer for green and white teas.
Measure your tea leafs:How much tea leafs you need will vary, depending on your taste and the types of tea, but you could begin by using between 2-3g of tea leafs per one 8oz cup, and adjust the amount to your taste when you make it later. Different types of leafs vary in volume, but generally 2 g of leafs is about two teaspoons, the measuring teaspoon, not the fancy one in your silver set.
Prep your tea pot and infuser:I'm sorry boys, but size matters on this one: make sure the size of your infuser corresponds to the size of the pot. A good general rule of thumb here is the dry tea leafs needed for the size of the pot should fill less than half of the infuser, but bigger is always better on this one. Pour a bit of hot water over the pot before brewing to warm it up.
Brew the tea:Some people rinse the tea leafs first, by pouring a bit of water directly over the infuser and discard the water. This is to temper the leafs to the temperature of the hot water, as well as rinse out any dust or impurities. But you can easily skip this step. Pour hot water into the pot and set your timer. I suggest you begin by brewing the tea for 3 minutes, then adjust to your taste later. It is also useful to try it a few different times after brewing the tea for 2 minutes -which is generally the shortest suggested time. This way you could judge by yourself how long you'd like your tea to brew. The time it takes to brew tea correlates to the size of the leaf in your blend. This means the larger the leaf the longer the brewing time.
Black:
Water Temp: 90-100 C (195-210 F) Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes
Oolong:
Water Temp: 80-93 C (185-200 F ) Steeping Time: 2-5 minutes
Green:
Water Temp: 73-80 C (165-185 F) Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes
White:
Water Temp: 70 - 80 C (160-175 F) Steeping Time: 1-3 minutes
Herbal/Fruit tisanes:
Water Temp: 95 - 100 C (205-210 F) Steeping Time: 5-7 minutes
Remove the leafs: It is important to remove the brewed leafs immediately after the desired brewing period. You could set aside the brewed leafs to make another pot later, but it's not a good idea to leave the leafs in the pot indefinitely.
Tea Storage Tea easily absorbs moisture and odours and so it is essential that it is kept in a cool dry and dark place away from any strong smelling items. It must be stored in an airtight container not exposed to light and used within a reasonable time. Because light breaks down the quality of tea, glass containers are not suitable for the storage of tea unless stored away from light.

Kupa Tea offers a wide variety of high quality Loose Leaf Teas from around the world. Visit Kupa Tea website or Contact us for more details.

Would you like a spot of tea?

White Tea

White tea is made from leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis same as green tea and black tea. The leaves are harvested while very young, and the buds are still covered in very fine, white hair. These hairs are what give white tea its name.

While black tea is harvested and dried leaves that are fermented before being cut up, white tea is only very gently dried. Because of this careful handling, white tea buds still have the same high concentration of antioxidants as fresh tea leaves. This dedication to perfection is evident in the cup, which is sweet and delicate with a clean, airy fragrance.

White tea is cultivated primarily in China, mainly in the mountainous and fertile Fujian province, where white tea has a long history. The bushes on which the white tea leaves are to be grown are the ones that are best placed with respect to sunshine and rain.

The best quality white tea is harvested first. The finest qualities of white tea, often called "Silver Needle", consists exclusively of the buds of tea leaves. These buds are hand picked during certain days in the spring, usually between March 15th and April 10th. By that time, the buds have reached the perfect balance between youth and maturity that gives the best-tasting tea. Only undamaged and unopened buds are used for Silver Needle. Other qualities of white tea may incorporate leaves that are no longer buds, but are still young, with the white fuzz still on them.

The leaves and buds are withered over a few hours, then air dried. The temperature and even the air moisture are taken into consideration during the production, and the art is to get a perfect balance between solar withering and indoor withering. Like green tea, the leaves are not fermented at all. The extremely gentle and quick processing means that the buds and leaves are very close to their natural state. This allows the antioxidants in the leaves to survive intact, making white tea the best alternative for health-conscious aficionados. White tea is very rare, and can be much more expensive than other teas.

Properly brewed white tea has a pale, slightly golden color, not unlike white wine. The scent is light and fresh, and the taste is mild and silky with a subtle, sweet aftertaste. The "grassy" aftertaste of green tea is quite absent in white tea, which can be drunk until it is cold without any noticable deterioration in taste or quality. White tea is the tea with the highest concentration of antioxidants and the lowest amount of caffeine.

For centuries, white tea was the utmost luxury, reserved only for the Emperor of China. The history of white tea is fascinating and worthy of a thick book. It was about this time it was discovered that the youngest buds of the tea leaves would produce a superbly mild, silky and fresh tea – what we now know as white tea. For some time, only the emperor and his courtiers could enjoy this most exclusive of teas. It was rare and very expensive.

White tea remained rare and unchanged until the nineteenth century, when specific types of tea bushes were cultivated to grow different varieties of white tea.

The export of white tea to Western customers is a recent development in the history of white tea, and the exclusive and delicate product has only been bought by westerners in any volume for less than a decade. Demand is rising because of the health benefits of the antioxidants in the white tea, considered much higher than in ordinary black tea and even green tea.

The Different White Teas

Noble, Long Life Eyebrow (Shou Mei) - This variety of white tea is made from a different kind of tea plant than the three types of tea mentioned below. It is typically harvested later than the other three and has a darker appearance. It has a stronger flavor, comparable to Oolong tea.
Tribute Eyebrow (Gong Mei) - This type of white tea consists of what is left after the higher qualities White Peony and Silver Needle have been harvested. It contains a few buds, but mainly young leaves.
Snowbud - This very light tea is a great and affordable introduction to the world of white tea. It really lets you enjoy the subtlety and delicacy of this airy variety.
Song Yang - This is a white tea variety that is hand made in the Song Yang region of the Zhejiang province. Three thousand tea leaves are meticulously harvested and processed by hand to make one pound of this exclusive white tea.
White Peony (Bai Mu Dan) - The bud is harvested with two leaves. This is the second highest quality of white tea, and it comes from the same kind of tea plant as the Silver Needle. The buds and leaves are covered in the same white down as Silver Needle.
Silver Needle (Yin Zhen) - This is the highest quality of white tea from China. It is hand picked during a short period in early spring, before the buds develop into leaves. Only undamaged, unopened buds are chosen, and it is prohibited to pick them if it is raining or too cold. The buds are of uniform length and thickness. They are springy and fleshy to the touch and covered with fine, white hairs. There are no leaves or stems in Silver Needle tea.

Brewing

White tea is the least processed and most delicate of all teas, and it is important to make sure that all its qualities survive the brewing process. It is particularly important to make sure that the strong concentrations of antioxidants in the buds and leaves are not weakened or depleted, and to ensure that the mild taste of the tea is not compromised.

There are two factors that can ruin any cup of white tea, and they are hard water and water that is too hot. Hard water means that the water has a high mineral content, mainly calcium and magnesium. These minerals will impair the taste of the tea, and may also inhibit and bind many of the antioxidants. If you know that the water in your area is hard, it is a good idea to filter it before you use it to brew white tea.

Always use fresh water from the tap to brew white tea, not water that has been sitting in your water heater or teapot for hours or days. White tea in itself has such a subtle taste that any residue or impurities will make themselves felt, and the tea will not taste as good.

Heat the water to the boiling point, then let it cool. Never steep white tea in boiling water. 175-185 degrees Fahrenheit, or 80-85 degrees Celsius, is considered the optimal temperature for brewing white tea. Some will advise you to use water at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, or 95 degrees Celsius, but that would be too hot. Many antioxidants are destroyed at temperatures that close to the boiling point, and the tea becomes astringent and loses some of its best qualities as the leaves are cooked.

The amount of tea you should use per cup of tea is a matter of taste and economics, since top quality white tea is by some margin the most expensive tea there is and you probably don't want to waste it. At Kupa Tea, we usually recommend using one teaspoon of white tea per cup, or one tablespoon for a pot of about one quart, or one liter. Depending on the quality of the tea, it should be steeped for under one minute, or slightly more. Silver needle quality tea should not be steeped for more than 30-40 seconds for the first steeping. Calculate steeping time depending on how you like your tea to taste. The longer you steep, the stronger the taste and the more pronounced the golden color.