Drinking loose leaf tea is much more of an experience than brewing from a bag.
It enables the brewer to experience a much broader range of flavors and feelings than simply dunking a bag (made from mediocre dust) in hot water.
Tea bags are usually composed of the dust, or sweepings from the floor of the factory where loose tea is processed and sorted.
Because of the broken nature of dust in tea bags, the brew is very thin and not at all complex.
You're lucky to even get one good steeping out of a tea bag.
Loose tea on the other hand yields much more complex, rich brews because of the complete, intact nature of the leaves.
As the leaves steep, they unravel to reveal new flavors with each infusion.
A good oolong or puer tea will often give out at least four or five brews and many times a lot more.
Not only are the brews better with loose leaf tea, but the aroma of the wet leaves is much more pleasing to the nose.
Some loose leaf teas will even noticeably affect the drinker physically.
This can come in the form of a pleasant warming sensation in the shoulders or a light tingling in the temples.
You simply do not get these subtleties with tea of the bagged variety.
Drinking loose full leaf tea over bags is also beneficial for the environment.
Instead of brewing a tea bag once and then throwing it in the trash (paper, string and all), loose leaf tea leaves can be reused many times.
Using bags is much worse for the planet than brewing leaves multiple times and then composting the leaves afterword.
Seeing the high quality loose tea steep also connects the drinker to the tea plant itself, fostering an appreciation and (hopefully) respect for the earth.
Steeping in the traditional kung fu or gong fu method creates a bond between the brewer and traditional Chinese cultures that have been fostering a love for the leaf for thousands of years.
Honing the necessary skills and educating oneself about this type of brewing engages the brewer in a practice that has been passed down through generations of drinkers, and it is in this tradition that a respect and appreciation can be bred.
For in broadening horizons through new experiences, we all benefit one way or another, whether it be by learning a new skill or learning about an unfamiliar culture.
It's all in the loose leaf tea.
It enables the brewer to experience a much broader range of flavors and feelings than simply dunking a bag (made from mediocre dust) in hot water.
Tea bags are usually composed of the dust, or sweepings from the floor of the factory where loose tea is processed and sorted.
Because of the broken nature of dust in tea bags, the brew is very thin and not at all complex.
You're lucky to even get one good steeping out of a tea bag.
Loose tea on the other hand yields much more complex, rich brews because of the complete, intact nature of the leaves.
As the leaves steep, they unravel to reveal new flavors with each infusion.
A good oolong or puer tea will often give out at least four or five brews and many times a lot more.
Not only are the brews better with loose leaf tea, but the aroma of the wet leaves is much more pleasing to the nose.
Some loose leaf teas will even noticeably affect the drinker physically.
This can come in the form of a pleasant warming sensation in the shoulders or a light tingling in the temples.
You simply do not get these subtleties with tea of the bagged variety.
Drinking loose full leaf tea over bags is also beneficial for the environment.
Instead of brewing a tea bag once and then throwing it in the trash (paper, string and all), loose leaf tea leaves can be reused many times.
Using bags is much worse for the planet than brewing leaves multiple times and then composting the leaves afterword.
Seeing the high quality loose tea steep also connects the drinker to the tea plant itself, fostering an appreciation and (hopefully) respect for the earth.
Steeping in the traditional kung fu or gong fu method creates a bond between the brewer and traditional Chinese cultures that have been fostering a love for the leaf for thousands of years.
Honing the necessary skills and educating oneself about this type of brewing engages the brewer in a practice that has been passed down through generations of drinkers, and it is in this tradition that a respect and appreciation can be bred.
For in broadening horizons through new experiences, we all benefit one way or another, whether it be by learning a new skill or learning about an unfamiliar culture.
It's all in the loose leaf tea.