After water, tea is the second most consumed beverage on the planet. Legend has it that the very first cup was created accidentally by a Chinese emperor in 2737BC. He was sitting next to a tea tree when some of the leaves blew into his boiled drinking water. Enchanted by the flavour, he drank down every last sip! Nearly five millennia later, his delightful invention is enjoyed around the world, both for its health benefits and its wonderful, delicate flavours.
Market research shows that most tea drinkers will use teabags rather than loose leaf tea when they treat themselves to a cup. However, some tea purists say that tea made with a bag is a poor substitute for the ‘real thing’. They liken it to drinking instant coffee rather than brewing with freshly ground beans.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the loose-leaf vs. tea-bag debate.
History Of The Teabag
Teabags were actually invented by accident. In the early 1900s an American tea importer named Thomas Sullivan was looking for a cheaper way to send tea samples to his customers.
The practice at the time was to send these samples out in miniature tins. Sullivan hit upon the idea of saving some money by sowing his tea leaves into handmade silk bags. Sullivan assumed that his customers would cut the bags open and then enjoy their tea in the traditional way.
Instead, they simply dropped the little bag into the boiling water and let it brew. It was quick, clean and convenient. Not to mention, it tasted wonderful!
Before long, everyone started clamouring for tea in these convenient bags. Hand sewn silk soon became machine stitched paper and the modern tea bag was born.
How Do They Work?
Teabags themselves are simply a delivery mechanism. As long as they are large enough to let the water in and have adequate space to allow the leaves to expand, brewing in a bag does not affect the tea’s quality.
They are simple to use, convenient and can be disposed of easily after use. Theoretically, they should be the obvious choice.
However, the teabag method is open to abuse.
Before its invention, tea drinkers would be handling, brewing and filtering their tea leaves. After the arrival of the teabag, people no longer could see or feel their leaves in the same way. This lead to some unscrupulous producers filling their bags with an inferior product.
Even today, tea bags can often contain broken leaves and ‘fannings’. Fannings are the small dusty particles left over after processing loose leaf tea.
Another problem with teabags is that they are often quite small. When the tea leaves are restricted in this way, they cannot fully infuse their flavour into the cup.
That said, many still prefer the ease of a teabag. Tea in bags will brew faster than loose-leaf, it usually has a stronger taste and is a great deal more convenient when you’re in a rush.
Loose-Leaf Tea
Loose leaf tea is generally considered to be the tea connoisseur’s choice. The leaves are steeped in boiling water which allows them the room to expand into the liquid as they infuse.
As a result of this process, the full flavours and aromas of the leaf are absorbed into the cup. In addition, all of the valuable minerals and vitamins contained within the tea leaf are released.
Another benefit of using loose leaf tea is that you are in complete control of your cup’s strength and flavour. You can become a tea mixologist! Everyone has their own idea of the perfect brew. Loose leaf tea allows you to blend, adapt and change the variety and number of leaves used. Using loose leaves allows you to formulate your very own recipe.
Not to mention, there is a great deal to be said for the magical ritual of making tea in the old-fashioned way. Knowing that you are replicating a process that has been employed by cultures all over the world for millennia will add a little something extra to your cuppa!
So – How Will You Take It?
It is important to note that a number of modern tea producers now produce larger bags that have extra space for infusion and contain great quality leaves https://www.tea-and-coffee.com/buy-tea/options/loose-leaf-tea
If you are lucky enough to find bags such as these then you will be able to enjoy the best of both worlds. Great quality, healthy tea with a wonderful aroma and a delicate taste – plus very little mess!
However, these bags are still quite a specialist product and unlikely to be found at your average grocery store.
Therefore, I think that a general rule of thumb should still remain:
If you are looking to grab a robust cuppa on the go with strong flavour and no mess, the teabag method takes some beating.
However, if you want to enjoy the full tea experience, complete with the health benefits, great flavours (and that little bit of magic that is only found when steeping leaves by hand!), it has to be loose-leaf.