Loose Tea or Tea Bags - Convenience Vs Quality

Recent statistics have shown a significant increase in the global sales of loose tea, at the expense of the ordinary tea bag. Many consumers are turning to the loose leaf variety because of the additional health benefits and the wide choice in exotic flavours. What many people don't know, however, is that it is actually much cheaper to produce the loose leaf than the bagged variety as it uses less material and has a much shorter manufacturing cycle. So what are the benefits of loose tea that have attracted so many new fans in recent years and what exactly determines its exceptional quality?

It has to be noted that, whereas loose tea has been around for literally thousands of years, the tea bag itself is only a very recent innovation. The first tea bags for commercial use were produced as late as at the start of the 20th century and it wasn't until several years later that tea bags were mass produced and sold to consumers worldwide. Convenience was of course a major factor in this development, but most consumers did not - and probably still do not - realize that this was to the detriment of taste and quality. The main reason for this difference between loose tea and the more common, standard variety is the manufacturing process.



The vast majority of teas in the world are produced from the inferior leaves of the Camellia Sinensis (or tea plant) using the so-called C.T.C. method (crush, tear, curl). During this process, the leaves are first allowed to wither and are then compressed and shredded into tiny pieces through a mechanical process, after which they are dried and bagged. This process is actually beneficial for low-quality leaves as it gives them a bigger surface area when steeped in hot water and this allows them to release the best flavour possible.

Loose tea varieties, on the other hand, are produced from only the highest quality leaves and it is therefore not surprising that they only represent 2% of the entire global tea production. To maintain their high quality and flavour, loose teas are still produced today using the orthodox method, which is traditionally done by hand. The orthodox process goes through several stages.

After the leaves have been harvested, they are left to wither until all moisture has disappeared. The leaves are then mechanically rolled and the ensuing chain of chemical reactions brings out their famous high-quality flavours. The oxidation or fermentation stage allows oxygen to interact with those chemicals, making the leaves darker and further intensifying their flavour. It is also this stage that determines the difference between varieties such as green tea, white tea, black tea and oolong, which all have a different oxidation percentage. The last stage of the orthodox manufacturing process is the firing stage, when the leaves are dried to stop any remaining chemical processes and to prepare them for storage.

So not only do loose teas originate from the superior parts of the plant, their unique flavour, character, body and aroma is also retained and enhanced through orthodox manufacturing. High quality leaves contain more healthy antioxidants, too, and if they are processed and used as loose tea leaves, more of this natural goodness will be drawn into the water, leading to a host of additional health benefits. It is therefore no coincidence that speciality teas with exotic flavours are more and more produced in loose tea form. Thanks to their newfound elite status, consumers are expecting high quality teas to have a taste to match.

Emily Harvey writes on a number of health and well-being related subjects. She is also declared loose tea addict and recommends Seven Teas for anyone wishing to buy best tea online.

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