Loose Leaf White Tea or Tea Bags?
White tea is the most delicate yet powerful of all the tea classifications. Loose leaf white tea has been studied for many years, and research revealed many of the positive health aspects this subtle-tasting beverage has to offer. From a strengthened immune system to help with preventing cancer development, this mellow brew is quite an impressive drink!
But did you know that you may not be getting all this tea has to offer? And I'm not just speaking about health!
There are two ways to prepare a cup of white tea, brewing it loose leaf style in an infuser, or dipping and dunking a regular tea bag in your cup. Can you guess which will yield more of the goodies white tea is known for?
If you have selected loose leaf white tea, you are correct! This method is the best way to achieve all of the aroma, flavor, and health benefits this tea gives us. The simple reason is that white loose tea actually consists of large tea leaves that when steeped in an infuser release all of their essential oils for flavor, along with their powerful catechin antioxidants and plant polyphenols for health.
Tea bag white tea is made of fannings, which are nothing more than "tea dust". This dust is what is left over after the larger leaves have been processed. It is the lowest grade of tea, and therefore offers the lowest quality tea can give us. Two things to know about tea bagged white tea is:
- The leaves are usually very old and dried out leaving little room for flavor.
- There is a lower concentration of antioxidants and polyphenols present, which once again means fewer benefits.
Having mentioned that, it is also important to state that even loose leaf white tea needs to be fresh! The leaves will stay good for about 6 to 8 months after the flush, depending on the variety. After that, they will start to suffer the same fate our tea bags are doomed for. So if going for the loose stuff, be sure and enjoy it while it is young.
What Does Loose White Tea Taste Like?
Generally the flavor of white tea is very pleasing to the palate. Remember that this tea is the least "cooked" out of all of the other teas, green, oolong, and black, and therefore has very distinct characteristics. For the most part, the liquor will be a light golden color, the aroma will have an airy scent, and the taste will be light and fruity with very little vegetal notes present. It is not as "grassy" as with some varieties of green tea, and is more on the mild side.
This type of tea is favored by many connoisseurs and is a perfect variety for newcomers of loose leaf to start out with.
Brewing this beverage loose leaf style does require a little extra work and careful preparation. Heating well filtered water to a steaming (not boiling) point, then pouring in a large infuser giving the leaves plenty of room to open, and steeping anywhere between 3 to 5 minutes is the perfect way to enjoy a cup. In most cases, loose leaf white tea will come with instructions, so there is very little guess work involved.
So when it comes to enjoying loose white tea, be sure to ditch those tea bags and go for the quality stuff! It is superior in every way, and believe me, your taste buds and overall well being will thank you for it!
Discover Some Great Loose Leaf White Tea VarietiesSummary: Loose leaf white tea is of higher quality than white tea in tea bags. It gives a better, healthier and tastier tea.