Thread: Loose leaf tea or tea bags?

If pu-errh came in tea bags, I would be wonder where that nice musky smell came from!

Originally Posted by nickyspaghetti

I read somewhere that most of the nice parts of the tea manage to get into the water in the first ten seconds of brewing, and after that it slows down. For me a second brew is not as aromatic and certainly much more bitter than the first. As a result I stick to one brew.
Jasmine pearl is definately my favourite tea - I can't drink it exclusively though because I get used to it and then I don't appreciate how different it is from regular green tea.
I could probably make a preference list like this.
Jasmine - gunpowder - pu errh - oolong - silver tip - sencha - black teas - herbal blends - rooibos

Of course that is with many things missed out but these are the ones I like to buy more often.(with the exception of the last three which I put on the list because I really dislike them.)

My preference list would be: pu-erh, oolong, silver tip white, green, herbals, rooibos.
And, that would be with a heavy emphasis on the first four teas.

I don’t know this as fact, but it’s good for a friendly insult. I tell bag tea drinking friends that the stuff in their bags is just the refuse left over after the loose leaf product is finished. I do prefer the taste of loose brewed to this extent.

Originally Posted by OLD_SCHOOL

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Oh Mugicha comes in bags, not sure if there is a leaf form, so I use the bags for that.

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I am probably telling you something that you already know but Mugicha is made from roasted barley, so, no leaves involved!

I come to you loose leaf tea lovers, hat in hand, to ask for your help.
I have just discovered that my favorite tea is not likely to be available through my normal source! I have searched online and at stores in my area to no avail! The tea style, Aki Bancha, is available on line but this particular tea by this particular grower is what I am looking for! I am providing a scan of the package that it came in. It comes vacuum sealed and is a delightfully mild tea suitable for drinking at any time of the day as it is very low on caffeine!
If you run across this tea in your daily travels could you please let me know?
OLD_SCHOOL, if my source is right and this tea will no longer be brought in from Japan maybe you might spot it in your travels! Please let me know if you do!

Thank you!

I am a loose leaf man myself. I only use tea bags at work.

Loose leaf tea is the only real tea. I like black ceylon tea either plain or with a hint of cardemom. But it is also about how you drink it. Not in a cup but in a glas, I don't know if you people are familiar with them but there are small thin tea glasses that are used in Kurdistan (and the rest of the middle east i guess), the glass is shaped like the "ideal female body"..anyway there is something magical about these glasses, the tea tastes wonderful and you cant drink enough of it!

define 'ideal womans body' - hourglass? It might mean different things to different people!

I like loose leaf tea, but will use teabag tea on occasion.

Originally Posted by Russel Baldridge

Loose Leaf is definitely the way to go; most mornings start with a cup of some kind of Black tea, lunch calls for an Oolong or full flavored Green, White tea and sometimes herbal tea at night.

We have a purveyor in town that has an impressive selection and at modest prices, too, so I usually have a few different selections of each catagory.

I like your thought process. However, I may substitute pu-erh at any time during the day. It does not seem to affect me from a caffeine perspective later in the day.