The teabag versus loose leaf dispute makes the Hatfields and McCoys look like the Osmond Brothers. When 95% of all tea sold in the United States is pre-bagged, what's to argue? Isn't the customer always right? Well, yes and no ...
Without a doubt, teabags are convenient beyond compare. They're portable, easy to use, and make for non-messy disposal. But flavor is what counts in a cup of tea, and that's where a teabag's dirty little secret is exposed.
Tea leaves are graded according to size. The largest is the whole leaf, the smallest is called "dust" or "fannings." The dust tea is quite literally that; it's the pulverized leaves that sift to the bottom of the tea box. Prior to the invention of the teabag, it had next to no value. But once the teabag came into vogue, and especially the modern opaque paper bag which prevents consumers from seeing what they're drinking, dust became king.
With the resurgence of quality tea drinking's popularity, tea bag experimentation is picking up speed. Different materials such as nylon or silk, different sized bags, and different shaped bags such as pyramids are being marketed as the answer to the whole leaf drinker's dilemma. The unassailable truth remains, however: a tea leaf needs elbow room to unfurl and steep if it is to infuse to its fullest potential. So it's back to the drawing board for teabag designers.
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4 comments:
It's so hard to go out to a diner or even a fancy restaurant without being served tea in a bag (usually Lipton or Celestial Seasonings.) Many waiters I've spoken to put Earl Grey or even green tea into the "herbal" categories, so I suppose tea knowledge doesn't catch on easily. I end up ordering coffee or hot cocoa instead, and saving my tea drinking for home or an actual tea room.
Thanks for your comment, Gata.
I, too, reserve my tea drinking for tea rooms or home. Bags have their place, I suppose, but it's not in my cuppa!
Bags are for teh "quick fix". But then...tea is not really a quick fix type of affair is it?
Tea is better suited to ponderous, relaxed, deliberate drinking. Which is why the fast food approach just doesn't work :-)
Loose leaf uber alles.
I really enjoyed reading this article about the debate over Tea leaf or bag. I hope to use both in my business so that people can choose and enjoy the best of both. This is a very insightful and helpful article to me. Has anyone ever been served loose leaf tea in an open cloth bag? Burdicks Chocolate (Boston) does this.
Thank you
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