I like to think I’m not a snob who is biased against bagged teas just because they lack the utter sophistication that is a loose leaf tea. There are definitely a fair share of bagged teas out there that can run my loose leafs around the block. However, I find that it is easier to justify buying fancy loose leaf teas which you may not be able to find in tea bags as opposed to something like green tea, which is significantly cheaper when bought bagged than it is loose leaf.
Green tea is one I would recommend that you try loose leaf. The flavour it steeps is worlds apart from any bagged tea I’ve had. In fact, green tea steeps better the less smothered it is by paraphernalia. I personally find that there is a notable difference between steeping it with an infuser and putting it directly into the cup.
In my game of favourites with teas, green always wins. Everything that I’ve heard people tell me about the flavour they hate, I love. I like it’s simplicity; its smoky, earthy bitterness. The nice thing about green tea is that it caters to people who like their teas both strong and weak because it’s flavour is proportional to steep time. I like my teas strong and flavourful, because it takes a lot of kick to get my taste buds dancing. The boy-toy prefers his tea so light I wonder why he doesn’t just drink hot water. This tea works well for both of us.
This tea is definitely a safe tea to keep in the cupboard if you’re looking to serve something to guests this winter. It’s has a very aromatic, crisp taste. It also has very good re-steepability. I tend to steep my first batch for anywhere between five and ten minutes and I can still get two, if not three batches out of one teaspoon. If you are a light tea drinker, you can get by with one or two teaspoonfuls drinking only green tea all day. I haven’t tried it yet, but I surmise this tea will work well with a touch of lemon. I can’t comment on honey since I don’t like sweetened teas.
I like to think of this tea as one of my more feminine teas. It pairs well with all the womanly indulgences like dark chocolate, vanilla (or cookie dough) ice cream, salted chips and popcorn. It’s also a great morning tea because it has the same bold kick most breakfast teas have, just appealing to the green palate.
