When I was little, my mom would always put on a fresh pot of tea when I got home from school. Since then tea has been one of my favourite treats, and with fall weather getting closer I've been making a daily ritual of brewing tea in the afternoons. Buying loose tea is an old fashioned experience that I really love, but it can be a little overwhelming unless you have a little…
I thought I'd lend a hand in that department!
While tea bags are fast & convenient, loose leaf tea just tastes better. Most tea bags are made with a grade of tea that's called “dust”, which dries out and loses flavour, but because loose leaf tea is brewed from larger leaves it's much tastier. If you have a favourite kind of bagged tea, chances are you'll fall even more in love with it if you try the loose leaf version.
Of course, brewing loose leaf tea is also a bit fancy & old fashioned, which I think effects the taste :)
Buying loose tea is a little like buying wine- there are a lot of different kinds & it can be helpful to know a few things before you go in so you know what to expect:
- Loose tea is sold by the pound- I'd recommend starting with a quarter pound as a safe amount, especially if you're trying a new type of tea.
- There are lots of different types – Common types of tea are white, green, black & oolong. You'll find out what you like best by trying a few different kinds. My favourite kinds are black teas- they have caffeine and go well with a little milk.
- Teas can be a “blend” or an “estate”– Blends are where different types of tea leaves are mixed together to create a taste, and estate teas use leaves that are all grown on the same physical plot of land. Estate teas are a little more expensive, but I like blends because the flavour is more consistent each time you buy them.
- You don't have to make a whole pot – There are lots of different kinds of single cup infusers that make it really easy to make a cup without it being a big production. I've had a Teastick for years and just adore it.
Once you've found your new favourite tea, steep it according to its directions (usually 3 – 5 mins) and enjoy!
can you see me in the cup? :)
Taking a minute in the afternoon to brew up a little pot of tea is an easy way to take a moment for myself that I've done at almost every job I've had. I love having little rituals that help me take a step back from any stress or anxiety I've been working through, and putting on a pot of tea before curling up with some afternoon e-mail is one of my favourite ways to have a few moments of comfort and a strong end to the day.
Of course, if a cup of tea doesn't work I recommend adopting a British accent & refusing to explain yourself.
Are you a tea granny or do you need more granny street cred?
You don't have to include photos of your new blue rinse, I'll believe you!
LAST UPDATED ON: October 11th, 2011
CATEGORY: All Business & Blogging Posts
Mmm, I love tea. My old time favourites are peppermint (with fresh mint), earl gray and green tea. I recently got into this tea made locally called Noches de verano, I definitely agree with you that loose tea leaves taste the best.
I ADORE this post, Kyla! I’m obsessed with tea (almost as equally I am with coffee). I really love a good loose leaf tea, and right now my favorite is a passion fruit one from The Coffee Bean. There is a Tevana (which I feel is very similar to David’s Tea I believe), so I think I need to go there soon and pick up some good tea for fall!
XO
I guess I am a granny when it comes to tea. I like using loose leaf teas and guess what, I enjoy my tea with shortbread cookies – how’s that for being granny-like…more like an English granny.
I’m a fan of loose leaf tea. I tried it a little over a year ago on your recommendation and really enjoyed it. You’ve got some awesome tea granny street cred.
This post basically made me drool everywhere xD I love a good cup of tea and there’s even a little coffee shop down the street that sells every kind of loose leaf tea imaginable. It’s been a while since I’ve been down there, so I may have to pop in soon! Thanks for reminding me :D
One of my classmates from high school opened a tea shop a few years back and I haven’t looked back since–it’s loose leaf tea all the way!
Have you tried jasmine green tea pearls? It’s green tea that is scented with jasmine to infuse the tea with a lovely floral taste. I usually prefer sweeteners in my tea, but not in the jasmine tea. It’s not sweet at all, but the taste and aroma of jasmine makes up for the lack of sweetness, IMO.
I guess I just proved my granny street cred right there, eh? :)
I’m a coffee drinker, but I live in Seattle where I believe you get arrested if you don’t drink coffee. Lately i’ve been leaning toward tea. In the last few months I’ve ventured into the world of loose leaf and love it. Please forgive the ignorance of this question, but are teas seasonal? Are there certain times when should buy certain types over another?
Tea reminds me of being in my grandparents house when I was little. In an Irish kitchen there is always a tea kettle about to burst.
At home I’m strictly a peppermint tea (either using bags or leaves) drinker but since coming to India I’ve been exploring tea more and more (of the loose variety). Exotic (to me) flavours from Assam and Darjeeling and Kashmir. So fun (to me!) to learn about these new teas, take them back to my flat, steep them according to the directions and taste – then decide if I like or not :)
Suspect I’ll be brining home lots of tea for gifts!
It depends. Can you be a tea granny if iced tea is more your bag? If so, count me in!
Love this post. I have been adventuring into tea lately. I live in the South, and when people talk about tea around here, they mean super sweet iced tea (which I love!). I am glad you opened me up to loose leaf tea. I think I will try to find some around my small town. Cross my fingers I can score!
I’m somewhere in between. I used to make it all the time. I have a little cup thing from a shop called teavanna that lets the tea steep floating in the water and then you put it over your cup and only the water runs out, leaving all the leftover tea leaves in the top. I actually miss it. But since I’m pregnant I’ve been wary of teas not knowing which herbs were off limits. My favorite is fruity herbal mixes and red teas. Mmmmm…
My tea collection is like my book collection… out of control! I bring a thermos to work every day filled with tea-and I always have one for breakfast. I love all sorts of tea-my fav lately is earl gray. I adore buckingham palace garden party tea! I’ve been drinking tea since I was a wee one. I even have this awesome bag of hibiscus loose leaf tea that was smuggled back from egypt for us.
I have always been a big tea granny. Gotta have it! When I still lived in Canada there was a great tea shop on the main floor of my office building, they must have offered 100 different loose leaf tea flavours. I miss that place so much!
Definite tea granny here! I have an entire cabinet in my kitchen devoted to dozens of tea varieties. I used to use mostly tea bags for convenience and variety, but I’ve come to prefer loose tea by far. It’s quite dangerous– there’s a tea shop just 2 blocks away from my condo that always has fresh baked scones and pots of tea for sampling. I’m always finding excuses to stop in!
I LOVE tea and it’s been a habit of making pots after pots after pots of tea in the winter since I was a teenager. I begged my great-aunt to buy me a fancy tea set – pot, tea cups and tea infuser included. It is indeed a real ritual to make loose tea and you’re right, it’s so much more delicious.
Besides, isn’t going to a tea shop where you can smell ( and often taste) different kinds of teas one of the most exhilarating experiences? :)
I made my first pot of tea on Sunday. Fall is officially here :)
Tea granny. I love tea. Loose tea is way better!
Tea granny! You should see our tea cupboard – it’s practically bulging open!
Tee hee, this is such a British post. It’s unexpected from a Canadian!
One thing you’ve not mentioned, but is very important, is that tea bags often have plastic in them, and so take centuries to biodegrade (they’re not recyclable or good for the environment like some people think). In the UK at least, where we throw hundreds of millions of these away every day, loose tea is an important step in reducing your ecological footprint. I did a post about this last year:
http://mslogica.com/2010/09/each-cup-of-tea-represents-an-imaginary-voyage-catherine-douzel/
A nice chap left a very insightful comment about tinned tomatoes which relates to your comment about the flavour of loose tea!
Love loose tea! It’s once way I’ve been saving money – by making my own tea instead of going to Second Cup.
Right now I’m loving bourbon vanilla black tea, Quangzou milk oolong, and my forever love, jasmine dragon pearls.
I use the TeaSpot Tuffy Steeper at work { http://www.amazon.com/TeaSpot-Steeper-Silicone-Filter-Infuser/dp/B003U2W9TU/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1318346113&sr=1-3 } and really like it.
My mum doesn’t drink anything except English Breakfast Tea. She’ll drink Earl Grey at a stretch, but when we were away in Paris & Amsterdam, she was so excited when we found cafes serving breakfast tea. The flavoured teas seem much more popular right now.
You’re so informed! :) I love tea, but definitely could use some more tea granny street cred.
-Sara-
Oh dear. I am sitting at my computer freezing (for the first time in awhile in arizona!) dying for a cup of tea but we are all out! this just pushed me over the edge, thanks a lot :)
you are my #1 favorite granny :)
I’ve been spending all these years cultivating a snobbish affection for specific coffees…I haven’t even ventured into tea land yet! I’m a little scared…
As a non coffee drinker, I’m a big tea drinker. Loose leaf or tea bag depending on the time. My favourite decaffeinated tea is Redbush. It’s just so comforting! I still haven’t found my perfect chai yet. Always on the lookout for that.
100 percent tea granny! I love to brew a pot of tea when I come home from work – it’s so relaxing! Right now, I’m drinking Honeybush Vanilla from Teavana. (http://www.teavana.com/) It’s non-caffeinated, which is perfect for after-work drinking and its taste is so pleasant! You can brew it with other caffeinated teas, too, so I will definitely add some to loose leaf chai! Yum! Kyla, let’s start a tea club! :D
I need some granny street cred…. i bought some loose leaf tea over the summer (based off of how good it smelled) and i didn’t like it at all… haven’t been back to a place to try again though :(
I’m a huge tea fan! I need to take time to brew more loose leaf, I’m usually in a rush and use a tea bag. I recently visited a local tea vendors booth at the farmers market and was totally overwhelmed by all of the options! I agree with you though, its so nice to have those little daily traditions. My current is pumpkin coffee in the mornings. Since there aren’t actually seasons where I live, I have to create my own.. and pumpkin coffee is a big part of it for me!
You might like using a tea infuser- it’s how I brew tea at work :) I’ve had a Teastick for five years or so, and it’s just like a tea bag with no waste & none of the fuss of making a big pot :)
Whoops! Has *been introducing me! :)
This post is such perfect timing! I had afternoon tea with some friends last weekend – one of them just spent a year in England and has bee introducing me to different kinds of teas because I SO want to like tea and be fancy!
So far I’m loving Irish Breakfast tea but my absolute favorite is Lady Grey. Once I get a feel for what I really love maybe I’ll try loose leaf!
I have always been intimidated by loose tea, but maybe I’ll give it a try since you say it’s supposed to taste better. I never knew that! I love the little mesh tea balls – this will be the perfect excuse to buy one!
I just went to high tea at the Boston Harbor Hotel this weekend—so wonderful. Such a great tradition. :)
Lovely post! I used to work at a Tea shop and it was one of my favorite jobs :) I adore loose leaf tea, and my favorite is mixing 1/2 camomile with 1/2 peppermint – its delightful!