A Beginner’s Guide to High-Quality Loose Teas

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various types of Tea

Tea is a preferred beverage and widely consumed by many across the globe. Leaves plucked from the same plant may offer distinct flavours when you take a sip of the finest tea blends. What contributes to their uniqueness are the climatic conditions, plucking season, the technique used to process the leaf, and the steeping method adopted.

The manufacturing process is the ultimate factor in determining the quality of the tea produced. Sourcing the primary ingredient from a reputed tea store allows you to create this refreshing beverage at home while exploring flavourful blends.

Leaves are broken down to accommodate them in tea bags, making them bitter and degrading their aroma, flavour, and health properties. In contrast, steeping whole leaf tea in hot water expands the leaves, adds freshness and enhances your beverage’s taste. 

The common types of loose tea include:

Table of Contents

Black Tea

Undergoing a process of oxidation gives the leaves their dark colour. These teas leaves are first dried after plucking, rolled to release enzymes, and then fully oxidised. The flavours are generally bolder, plus black teas is recommended to improve heart health, energy, digestion, and immunity.

Green Tea

Leaves plucked are dried and then heated to kill enzymes responsible for oxidation, making the tea lighter in look and taste. Drinking green teas boosts your memory and metabolism besides being rich in antioxidants. 

White Tea

The leaves undergo minimal processing to manufacture this variety of teas, and tender young buds are plucked. White teas is delicate and mild in flavour, helps lower blood pressure, and keeps your cholesterol in check.

Oolong Tea

The intricate oolong manufacturing process offers the widest range of aromas and flavours. Drinking this tea is known to control inflammation and diabetes. Here large leaves are oxidised more than the white teas and less than the black variety. Dark oolong is boldly nutty, while green oolong has a lighter character.  

Pu-erh Tea

After the leaves undergo a unique fermentation and oxidation process, you get a high caffeine content teas with robust earthy flavours. Pu-erh is recommended to aid digestion and control blood pressure.

Herbal Tea

Most herbal teas are caffeine-free and made from a blend of spices and herbs. Consuming this concoction boosts your immune system and the quality of your sleep.

Brewing a Refreshing Cup

You can brew your teas using a teapot, French press, or an infuser. The water temperature and steeping duration is determined by the teas you are brewing. 

For black teas, boil the water completely; just boiling water is suitable for green teas, and for white, you need water that is not quite boiled. Pour hot water over your teas leaves and leave them to steep as per recommended durations.

Recommended Servings

A specialist teas store offers you your favourite beverage properly packed with steeping instructions highlighted. Half a teaspoon of high-quality loose teas per cup is recommended. 

Shelf Life

Full leaf loose teas lasts for years when stored in an airtight container and kept in a cool location. Reputed brands usually print a two-year expiry date on their packaging. 

A master specialist focuses on ethically sourced, handpicked leaves to produce the tastiest teas blends. Opt for loose teas rather than teas bags and delight in their refreshing taste.