At a glance loose leaf tea seems like a lot of work and although it can be time consuming, it does not involve a great deal of effort. Using a simple bag of tea, or popping in a Keurig cup may seem like an easier solution to a daily tea fix, but you will never regret making the real deal. You may even give up the second rate substitutes for good after you take that first sip, I know I did.
1. Scent is EVERYTHING
Most of your taste is associated with smell, so if you don't absolutely love the way it smells odds are you will not be too fond of the taste either. Smell all the choices carefully and take breaks in between smelling them so that you can differentiate between all the different scents.
2. There are essentially four basic types of tea and each is very different from the next so learn your teas.
Eventually you will find a favorite. Black tea tends to be on the bitter side and is the most caffeinated of the teas.
Green tea is the next caffeinated tea. This tends to be better associated with fruity flavors and is among the healthier teas.
Herbal tea is non-caffeinated and is often more potent, but also on the pricier side.
And finally there is rooibos which is also known as red tea. This tea is the least healthy of the teas, and tends to go well with both savory and fruity flavors.
3. Tea takes time.
If you want your tea to reach its full potential of flavor, it takes time. It is suggested that you leave tea to steep for at least three minutes, but longer never hurt anyone. Stopping tea from steeping prematurely can leave tea tasting like slightly flavored water and that is never a good thing.
4. Loose leaf tea can be used more than once, but it never tastes the same the second time around.
If you leave tea to steep to its full potential, than it doesn't often have anything left to give the second cup. For the best tea use fresh leaves every time.
5. As Mary Poppins said, "A spoonful of sugar..."
But in this case, a spoonful of tea. A regular tablespoon of tea leaves usually does the trick for a cup or a small thermos.
6. There may be floaties in your tea.
Tea diffusers aren't fool proof and often will let particles leak through the bigger holes. You can drink these particles, or just leave them in the bottom of your cup and dump them out later.
7. Always use a diffuser.
There really isn't any other way to make tea than to use a diffuser, or separate tea bags. I personally have a tea maker from Teavana that I absolutely love, but if you aren't lucky enough to have one you can always just buy a diffuser from the dollar store.
8. Be light on the sugar.
Most tea is naturally sweet from the fruit and nuts already in it, so always try your tea first before reaching for the sugar.
9. Don't buy a lot at once.
When trying tea for the first time, only purchase a little. You can always go back and get more, and a little tea goes a long way.
10. Store your tea in airtight containers.
Air and light causes fresh tea to go stale, so make sure to always store tea in airtight containers out of the light.
11. Enjoy!
Loose leaf tea is ten times better than the bag and worth all of the effort that you put into it!
