Tea Bags – No Longer the Poor Cousin Of Loose Leaf Tea

Tea bags came on the scene in the early 1900’s, the result of a New York City
tea importer named Thomas Sullivan, who sent samples of tea in small silk
pouches to his potential customers.
Although not his intention, the re-
cipients used the pouch to steep
the enclosed tea, and the tea bag
was born, quite by accident.
The idea of

brewing tea in a small silk bag caught on
like wildfire, and excited by the convenience of this
new invention, the market for tea bags in the U.K.
rose from 5% in 1960, to 7% five years later.  By the
early 90’s a whopping 85% of Britain’s total tea
consumption was made
up of bagged tea.
And in the U.S. between
65-70% of tea was made
using tea bags.

Over the years the quality has changed significantly, and the bagged
tea of today is no longer considered to be the lowly cousin of loose leaf teas, with choices
ranging from standard quality black, green, and white, to a nice selection of 
blended, and
flavored teas, as well as specialty and
gourmet tea bags.
Today you can find a large selection of teas
in specialty tea stores, major department
stores, online, and through mail order.  And,
even some savvy supermarkets carry a nice
selection of good quality bagged teas.

The marriage of tea bags and good quality

loose leaf tea brings joy to tea lover’s every-
where who want the convenience of tea
bags, but don’t want to sacrifice the flavor of
quality loose tea.
Tea bags allow you to enjoy a fresh, hot cup
of

tea while going about your busy day.  Just
tuck a couple of packets of tea, along with a bottle
of water into your bag and brew up a cup or two
while going about your work day.  There’s no fuss,
no muss, just steep and dispose of the used tea bag.
No messy leaves to deal with, no strainers or tea in-
fusers needed.
The only drawback is that some bagged tea is made from small pieces
of tea, called dusts or fannings, which brew quickly and taste bitter if
steeped for too long a time.

Today, with the large selection of tea bags, you can likely find a tea
you enjoy.  And if by chance you can’t find a bagged tea that appeals
to you, there’s always

fillable tea bags, you can fill with your favorite
loose leaf tea, and create your own signature blend of teas.  
Enjoy.

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