Preparing tea can be a ritual to help you develop mindfulness and set the tone for your day. Brewing tea can awaken your senses and invigorate your taste buds if it is prepared with intention. While teabags can be delicious, there are good reasons to choose loose-leaf tea instead.
Loose-leaf tea is usually of a higher quality.
Loose-leaf tea is made with whole or partial tea leaves. The effects are potent and the taste is flavoursome. Tea bags, however, are generally made with the remnants from the production of loose-leaf tea called “dust and fannings” which can include stems and seeds that make the tea taste bitter. In teabags, the essential oils evaporate quickly, making the tea taste dull and stale. Some companies use high-quality tea leaves in their tea bags, but not many.
Loose leaf tea has better aroma and flavour.
Teabags typically consist of a standard blend with a one-dimensional flavour. The dust and fannings which are tightly packed into a teabag are compressed and cannot fully release their flavour. Thus, the teabag restricts the infusion, and the result is a weaker and less flavourful finished brew. Loose-leaf tea, however, is minimally processed, and therefore retains its natural flavours and aromas giving you a richer, more nuanced cup of tea.
With loose-leaf tea you can combine varieties and customise.
There are thousands of varieties of loose-leaf tea which offer unlimited options for customizing flavours. Whereas teabags offer you only the blend in the bag, loose-leaf teas give you control over flavour, strength, and sweetness. Trying different combinations will allow you to tailor your tea to your personal preferences. Nowadays it is easy to buy loose-leaf tea online.
Loose-leaf tea is better for the environment.
About five billion teabags are consumed worldwide every year. While they may offer a more convenient way to make your morning brew, teabags are often not biodegradable and can even contain microplastics. So, they can be harmful both to the environment and your health. On the other hand, loose-leaf teas are a natural and compostable environmentally-friendly alternative. Loose-leaf tea typically uses fewer resources during production and is often packaged with recyclable materials.
Loose leaf tea offers more health benefits.
For centuries, tea has been used therapeutically. The natural compounds in tea can boost your immune system and counter inflammation. Loose-leaf tea contains polyphenols, antioxidants, and many other beneficial nutrients. Many of these beneficial compounds are lost when tea is processed into tea bags.
