What Is Loose Leaf Tea?

In a very general definition, a loose leaf tea is a tea that does not come prepackaged in tea bags.

Unlike bagged tea, a loose leaf tea isn’t crushed into a teabag, allowing it to keep its flavor, aroma, and health benefits. HOW DO YOU STEEP LOOSE LEAF TEA?

You can steep loose leaf tea with a steeping ball, infuser, french press, or strainer! What’s cool about this method is there’s much less waste than with bagged tea. WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF LOOSE LEAF TEA? Many benefits of loose leaf tea aren’t FDA approved, and we always recommend you do your research.

Matcha, Yerba Mate, and Black Tea contain a lot of caffeine but don’t have the crash that comes with coffee. All teas provide some level of antioxidants, vitamins, and nutrients and have anti-bacterial properties. In our “types of tea” snippet below, you can learn more about each type of tea and its health benefits!

• Black Tea: Great for digestion, heart health, energy, and immunity.

• Green Tea: Memory, dental health, cancer prevention, metabolism.

• Herbal Tea: Sleep, immune system, inflammation (varies with herbs).

• White Tea: Cholesterol, reproductive health, weight loss, brain health.

• Pu-Erh: Blood pressure, stress relief, weight loss, digestion.

• Oolong Tea: Diabetes, inflammation, weight loss, brain health.

​HOW MUCH LOOSE LEAF TEA PER CUP Receiving a bag of loose leaf tea for the first time can be a little overwhelming. Fortunately, steeping instructions remain consistent across most brands. You can find out how to steep your loose leaf tea via the instructions on your packaging. You’ll need 1/2 a teaspoon for every 8 ounces of tea. Loose-leaf tea can be re-steeped! TYPES OF LOOSE LEAVE TEAS

Black Tea

Perhaps the most common tea, black tea, is made from highly oxidized Camellia Sinensis, a plant common in most teas. This oxidization gives the tea leaves their dark color. Standard blends of black tea include English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and Chai. Black tea is also a popular choice for making iced tea. Black tea has a strong flavor and is packed with caffeine.

Green Tea

Along with black tea, green tea also comes from the Camellia Sinesis plant. Unlike black tea, green tea is minimally oxidized. Minimal oxidization is why the leaves are green in color. Green tea has a lighter, more vegetal taste. Green tea is known for being a high source of antioxidants and for its many health benefits. Some traditional green teas include floral tasting Jasmine Tea and smoky-tasting Houjicha. Matcha is a green tea powder. Herbal Tea

Herbal tea is a blend of herbs and spices. Any tea that does not contain tea leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant is considered an herbal tea. Almost all herbal teas are caffeine-free (one exception is Yerba Mate). Because of the abundance of herbs, a large variety of flavors can be achieved in herbal blends. Some common herbal teas are Chamomile, Peppermint, and Rooibos.

White Tea

White tea is the least processed out of all the other teas. White tea is made from the same plant as black and green tea, but the tea leaves are exposed to heat as quickly as possible to stop oxidation, this gives the tea a mild and delicate flavor.

Pu-Erh Tea

Pu-erh tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Still, it goes through a unique process of oxidation and fermentation. Pu-erh is aged to get a unique flavor that no other tea has. Pu-erh has a robust earthy flavor that lends itself well to chai and cocoa blends. Pu-erh is commonly used as a substitute for coffee because of its high caffeine content.

Oolong Tea

Oolong tea falls somewhere in the middle of black tea and green tea. Oolong is oxidized more than green tea, but less than black tea. The tea is rolled into unique shapes, which can result in a variety of different flavors.